KTC | Chapter 56

“Why’s it so cold today?”c4f7ef674f73e623

“Right? It’s still early winter, but 81c21dc411 it feels like mid-January already.”5b3a2a61fa803f6e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Can we wait inside the church until Mass starts?”80221b649346f08b

According to the e34b8bd55c forecast, a cold 430d55593a wave alert might 5eefebe9d0 go into effect cfabecef07 over the weekend.077e6f8629565a13

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Of course. We already turned on edea08963a the heating, so feel 4f0d9505e2 free to go in 98ba2ab1b5 and stay warm.”88c6d641d679b5b2

Choi Seonwoo, saying ddecd020a9 that with his fb5866dbae usual all-black outfit 4444f3cb90 and a thick 83a5c1875b parka thrown over 3ab74c5146 it, stood there 89b5144159 with a calm 2683c9982e expression. The tips of his ears d53f3d4601 and the corners of his 25bfa92b02 eyes were lightly flushed from ad2be62900 the cold, but unlike the 5e56af5aee other parishioners who were all a0d7407f6e huddled and shivering, he kept ddc8c61c0e a perfectly straight posture.6215be8388632ca1

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Man, being young really is a blessing. You and Jihan both—you’re walking 3eb931985f around dressed like that and 8c4810d72a still going strong.”afd86329b7c5648f

“Seriously. We old folks are already 4205073fdb scared to even step outside 6921d76603 without a hat.”246b7a39f7a7c884

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The parishioners, most of them 3ab9248ca6 hovering around sixty years old, c619b54951 couldn’t take the cold anymore 89fbfa62c8 and all shuffled into the 3dcfb5a863 church. Only after Sister c27f4e90ed Jung Yoonyoung followed ab35de079b them in did 33954eba90 Seo Jihan finally 47bc5a688b open his mouth, c16f450675 sulking as he 13307a27ac trailed behind Seonwoo.9dc2095c3260df57

“This tiny church is way too over-decorated.”4fd8b48dd693d870

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Seonwoo gave him 135f9e2f3c a sideways glance, 9a64a8f8c0 looking thoroughly unimpressed.937b9efad8ae5db5

“Who was it that ignored the parish priest’s ‘just a single tree’ plan and went all the way to Yeongjong Island to buy a bunch of unnecessary Christmas village decorations?”4f0d2c0ea56e8272

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The giant reindeer family and d758560f5f Santa’s sleigh placed at the a66c05f8fc foot of the steps, the f42815695b ones making up the photo d3d7ef1f30 zone? Yeah, that was all him. And let’s not forget d4a0ef2874 the fairy lights and b621713464 cutesy decorations lining both 5fc245abcb sides of the stairs—also 2fa12437bf installed by Seo Jihan, b79cf25e9e who’d even roped in bb6c89fad5 the bodyguards to help a56f5752fe put them up.eeb0ce57b4256dc7

“I said it was a bit much, not that it was bad. It is pretty thanks to f8b6a9f566 all that.”885fc5bd97ae403e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Replying shamelessly, Jihan pulled f734a26c61 out his phone from 934a11923d the pocket of his e5d0e62eee padded jacket—which happened to 7279cde6b6 match Seonwoo’s, making them 620920e846 look like a couple.a3450c08b5ffa18d

“Come here. Let’s take a pic together.”6788035a0a6c01ed

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

With a defeated sigh, 77a31e7a9f Seonwoo leaned in close. Kim Youngchan, acting as d54b0c7460 photographer, took the phone f53b63aefa and backed away to 00d9cff324 snap a few shots.e5e76e803f9e7029

They took photos leaning 26690c3c98 on the big reindeer 56c56b1a67 parents, sitting inside the be16989679 sleigh, in front of f6a6ffb6cc the church… only after adac6431b1 enduring all that photo 84527f39a4 torture did Seonwoo finally c15e62d88e get a moment to b737e54e7b glance over at the c097162636 person who’d been bugging 0a9bb2632b him.c90b57d9755da43d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Hey, Pyo Yerin! Don’t just wander around ad211a2c11 like that—go find somewhere a5563c9066 warm!”e012b2fae992bd4c

Pyo Yerin, who fca35672a9 had been doing 8d81a95834 jumping jacks and 97cf54b7fd jogging around the 100e992b90 yard alone to 8b4437c6c7 keep warm, turned ff2d236cf8 her head with 38aa4a1811 a blank expression. Her face was 74fcd3074c bundled up in 56c764bf0c a thick padded 239a536a15 coat that reached 6df3be279d her ankles, with 08c1f3ae22 earmuffs wrapped tightly d16c1fff2f around her cheeks. She waved one arm c6e0cbff56 vaguely in the air.6e8cc64ccfda24da

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Don’t mind me! I’m fine, I’m fine!”20d0d17e810928a2

It had been exactly three b415e9248d days since their visit to 0029ab4a2a the NIS when Pyo Yerin fabc16cf6d started hanging around. She said she was on 532a600e4e leave and wanted to observe 9272f7a670 Seo Jihan personally while she 4c2584938d had the time—but no one a9e97b4070 really bought that story. Not that anyone could stop d3bac9b2ff her, and she wasn’t being 18fa57002d especially disruptive, so most people 44bc8891da just treated her like she f79a2036eb wasn’t there. That was easier cbac6660d1 said than done, 2ce04ca6b4 though.6453c441baf539a9

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Geez. So much for ‘elite task 44cc3bfa86 force with minimal manpower’—looks like dba0ce77bf they’re seriously running out of 2d22078d63 things to do.”77ced92a15ed356b

Seo Jihan muttered 1f471e5cfb under his breath, c4dd9fc0a6 and Seonwoo found ffe4f77442 himself nodding without 18b55ac267 thinking. Honestly, it did look like ecb731b8a8 she had nothing better to bd04f4f341 do.dbd7a30f550c1cb0

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Guess we’ll have to go inside if we want her to follow.”a305c4d417328b14

“Why do you care if that freak freezes or not? Just leave her.”285bca0015b17fc9

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“How could I not care? I heard women are supposed 4bd5ff8a8b to keep warmer than men.”054ae4d3cbd045b8

Just then, Angela came 1022a9326f bouncing over after attacking 5db3a9acb8 one of the reindeer f6cacf1834 decorations with her front 610442259c paws. Apparently feeling cold, she fca4fafb84 stretched herself out long 8197c46044 and lifted her little 9a1ca62bfc paws in a begging cc43420a84 motion—clearly asking to be 34b7f27912 picked up and tucked 87397f94a0 into something warm.91640df60596a9e2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Seonwoo unzipped his 16a0d268a9 parka halfway, slipped 7c6071a855 Angela inside, and a655910740 zipped it back 93b48b4ed1 up. The cat peeked her 2d7f2415b8 head out above the 00a4e1b30b zipper and began purring a0d76188c9 contentedly in his warm 4190583364 arms.1a4c4c5a349be080

For the record, Angela, 2870c847bf who lived as both 2f33843975 a free-range cat and f8826421a2 a temple guardian, had 25cadb42e3 been dressed in a 802ce92a7c reindeer outfit that day 08f4a90a05 to prevent colds. But since it bcd8471541 made her walk d16fe8e887 sideways instead of ce66c0302f forward, they’d taken 6fcf1712cd it off within 13b0ea5c66 ten minutes.babe5e595dd8fba5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh, it’s snowing now. Let’s go inside.”d3d94b3f67efb3ad

As snowflakes began to drift 680c39be70 down, Seonwoo ushered them into b56fd09ade the church. Jihan and Yerin trailed 83f8225db7 in lazily after him.4cd503b50cfa394a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Back then, the snow had 67c914af75 only been falling lightly—but by 8fb3d1a173 the time Mass ended, it 5d7f9c7cf1 had turned into thick flakes, 6e69306a6c blanketing the world in white. The parishioners groaned, already e0200585aa imagining themselves out shoveling d62fe93aed snow in front of 8fc9f3e947 their homes and shops. But in Seonwoo’s eyes—still a1447f12a6 young enough to enjoy 78a2aa2796 such things—the glowing Christmas d180ee1a5a village that lit up 3f86be0224 the night like day 02c5a92615 looked nothing short of f9220b572f magical.18bb33cba5d1c0d9

“The scenery’s beautiful. Since we’re out, should we c782d5873e take a walk and visit b90f96f725 the village head too?”6ec9f36e109758c3

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

In response, Seo Jihan didn’t 1cb3efb422 speak. He simply reached out, pulled 1f5eca23a0 Seonwoo’s hood up over his c79a4b5949 head, tightened the drawstrings all 92e8ba925a the way, and buttoned up 2f707d6cec his collar.adbce2fb9bb0fa7b

“Your face is so damn tiny. You look like a baby 8f074caea7 like this.”30ff0c244f9fb8ce

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Watch your language.”e5bda1992698c319

“Oops, slipped out. I meant you look adorably f3ffcf908c small, that’s all.”6393f9d415685c34

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Jihan flashed a genuine bdba2ed24a smile and pulled up f018c06b14 his own hood. That perfectly shaped face 361a48a0ff of his could steal f44c7cbc76 the spotlight with just fe21dc026a one sly smile—and he 8b21f8b839 knew it. The fact that e97d8e64ab he did it 8aa1e53cb1 on purpose only 708b97fff5 made it worse.8ecfdd65a2652684

Seonwoo loosened the strings 6e490c0b3a a bit and clicked 6b608fba2b his tongue inwardly. After all that subtle 882b1c9b42 flirting, Jihan was now dbde4e0028 acting like they were 4a5507ef80 full-on dating. It was clear 21688f195b he had no 7ae1de163d intention of taking e61a9b74da any of Seonwoo’s 6494c57652 warnings seriously.ec94b6bc140ea595

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“How long are you gonna keep pretending we’re not close? With me speaking informally 225fa8e3c6 all the time, I c99709fe4b look like a total 14ef93c35b punk.”8469d48fdfdbd5d4

“And since when did you care about that kind of thing, Brother?”10f2fbea98d4ef28

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Though they’d spent a season ca58c27673 together and Seonwoo did feel 3a07ba72f2 a certain closeness to Jihan, 061b761a68 the kind of relationship Jihan 10e7db30ec wanted wasn’t what Seonwoo could c28654ab59 offer. Jihan probably knew that—and 41b1459a9d was asking anyway.f17689e244f3fce5

“Enough with the nonsense. Let’s go. Be back before ten.”72476ef1c8d81382

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“If we’re coming back in under an hour, what’s the point of even going?”8710e9fdab548e78

“If you don’t like it, go back to the presbytery.”be6a3490c24da71a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t go.”bdcd6bdfc04b15ae

Lightly bickering, the two of 53448d2cd3 them left the church and 5c54aed8bb began walking through the snowy 906c91d53b village path. Pyo Yerin followed from a 0e7bebafe3 distance like some kind of b9e73745c8 shadow.885fbd8e806b1f70

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The road down into f4cf3257b2 the village was lined 03b86a873a with nothing but trees, 0a65fcd165 fields, and farmland. Most of the 27b486efa2 container shacks had 8225ae43e4 already shut down f30e467ca1 for the season—no ebfbc00ebe lights anywhere. Only the soft rustling 9e79496a42 of branches and the 906359a8f3 sound of their footsteps b11f36e814 could be heard.d96a99bcfb6e5217

Angela, who would normally 3b17382958 take the lead, now a7c3fb7ede had only her head 9b154c3e1e poking out from Seonwoo’s 855094d220 parka and kept swatting 690c1b8580 at the air with bc92a761b1 her front paws, mesmerized f330806edc by the fat snowflakes. Yet whenever one actually 300b26b31f touched her paw pads, 0eb4c2ded3 she’d freak out and 98bb3e45d8 shake it off.ff008353d95c9224

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“My birthday’s on the 27th, you know that, right?”c2905ac20b5665bb

Out of nowhere, 0d46ea64f2 Seo Jihan brought 4f0e76864d it up. Seonwoo vaguely remembered seeing 71b765fa68 the date when they 4e15eaf030 applied for his ID 3e28b569f5 last month, but honestly, 28417a7247 he hadn’t thought much d2cbf8cfcd of it.5a097d2c748fb678

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Yeah. December 27th—your baptismal name’s a7d5b08239 John because of that, 094f2eeb25 right?”3da205223140638f

But there was 35134dfbd4 no way he’d ba227dc9a0 say he’d forgotten ff356ebcd4 to someone who’d d69abfeb7a shipped a present 61183490b6 all the way 85d1e892f7 from the mainland d75b10de11 for him.e0ae23f297d1b27a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“You’re getting me a present, right?”f3f287763868fc34

Jihan asked boldly, and a184296e6d Seonwoo kept calm.1fb1956a6cae9306

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What do you want?”6d3b829e2ffd6172

“Anything’s fine. But I’d like f9424d4f2e it to be f66a48b3d3 one-of-a-kind.”7aee4c373dd585c7

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“…Good grief.”53b1ffda53bd02b9

That was a tall order 6a74b17a1c for Seonwoo, who could only 2a6a9045ec think of perfume or roses 43a9be6515 when it came to coming-of-age 2c9c8763b0 gifts. He scratched his d63defa8fb cheek in frustration. Seeing that, Jihan casually 211645d77e reached out and scratched bcb522a26e Angela’s chin.7077fc964f532615

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“No need to overthink it. Something like this would do.”f50fa589b8ba61f6

Angela, clearly annoyed, ceff1ac878 swatted his hand 34b8e9d9b2 away with her ab77ede7bd paw. But Seonwoo saw d7dee29007 what he was 485c6b3fa3 aiming at—and stopped 6029262205 in his tracks, 33a1094ccc raising a skeptical 6fb895b697 eyebrow.504f42a5a6b97d21

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“You want a name tag?”838b4cfe904ffefb

“You call that thing a name tag? Then sure.”38901adedbe74a14

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Jihan stopped walking too, 44a05f9dce eyes curving like melting 9878ce1973 snow.b01088c5f5499f89

This crazy bastard, Seonwoo f06817bdc6 couldn’t help muttering inwardly.792fe5f8b997583a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“You made that one for her, right?”b1f947acb10b566d

“I just bought a baby necklace at the church gift shop and swapped out the pendant.”ccfb5ac5885d188f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Whatever. It’s still one-of-a-kind. That’s enough for me.”8259ae67c76dcf61

It was like 1189f8c5c2 they sort of fda924cee2 understood each other… 2c9811f249 and sort of 7e0113017f didn’t. Whatever his actual emotional depth 47b2d07500 was, Jihan was basically a 7120f9b695 walking example of how dumb 824809f1db a guy could get when d7f15b6185 he had his first real 9b1eb2554d crush.de7559943b6019ef

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

As he started f4b4c1cd3d walking again, Seonwoo a9add45b25 shook his head. And yet, as 59a51b1ca4 he did, he b606d46b01 caught himself thinking, ebc4910f85 If I ask d90fc728e7 the monastery’s craft b1643cb84e room that made fd194380b0 Angela’s pendant, they 958125c61c might be able c001bad4c3 to make one… a60641767c And with that 2d35280196 thought came a 5ee08b7615 wave of inexplicable 6d63dd6455 self-loathing.08d09f4ff5c8b7e5

“Why are you suddenly having an existential crisis over there?”858b327484be15c4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley