TMYRA Chapter 27

“I liked you a lot.”

 

It wasn’t even “I like you.” It was “I liked you.”

 

The emotion behind those words felt lonely.

 

He had feelings for her, but it ended before it could even begin. The affection they had for each other had turned into memories, and even now, their time together would soon become part of the past.

 

I felt the same way.

 

Soo-ah wanted to say that, but she couldn’t. Instead, she smiled weakly.

 

“When I was struggling with whether to drop out or take a leave of absence, you were a great help to me, Soo-ah. Thank you.”

 

His eyes, filled only with sincerity, made her heart ache, but Soo-ah forced herself to speak cheerfully.

 

“I’m the one who should be thankful. And… I’m really sorry.”

 

“You don’t have to be sorry anymore. It wasn’t your fault. You were a victim, too.”

 

Perhaps sensing that the mood was getting too heavy, he suddenly brought up something from the past.

 

“Oh, right. Do you remember when we worked on that silk screen project together?”

 

“Of course, I do. You and I messed up, and we had to start over from the beginning. It was such a serious and exhausting situation, but the final product turned out so amusing that we kept laughing.”

 

“That’s right. The black turned navy, and the red turned purple. But it looked like modern art. We even joked about displaying it in an exhibition. Then Ji-eun walked by and scolded us, saying we’d fail if we didn’t get serious.”

 

The two of them laughed out loud, reminiscing about that time.

 

“I really enjoyed my school life with you, Senior.”

 

“Me too.”

 

As Soo-ah smiled brightly and glanced out the window, her eyes met those of Seo Mun-hwon.

 

He was sitting arrogantly on a bench beyond the window. He looked amused by the sight of Soo-ah laughing. Reclining lazily in his seat, he tilted his lips into a sneer, as if mocking her.

 

His gaze was like that of someone watching something entertaining, yet, for some reason, Soo-ah also sensed an underlying menace.

 

She quickly scanned the area around him. There was no one else. Neither Jang Ji-cheol nor his subordinates. That meant she only had to get away from Seo Mun-hwon.

 

This restaurant was a place Soo-ah had frequented, so she was familiar with both its interior and exterior.

 

There was a women’s restroom near the entrance, and uniquely, there was also a door on the opposite side.

 

The back door led to a narrow alley that connected to the back gate of the school. If she went through the restroom, she might be able to enter the school without him noticing. It was a chance to escape him.

 

“Senior, I need a favor.”

 

Lowering her voice, Soo-ah turned her body slightly so that Mun-hwon couldn’t see her lips move.

 

“Anything. If it’s your request, I’ll do it.”

 

“It might seem strange, but please understand. It’s complicated. I’m going to go to the restroom and then disappear through the back door. Please make it look like you’re still waiting for me for at least 10 or 20 minutes.”

 

Sensing that something was off, Jun-hyun asked in a low voice,

 

“Soo-ah, is something going on? Is someone watching you?”

 

“I’m sorry. I hate to ask this of you. But I can’t explain everything… I don’t want you to get caught up in this.”

 

After a brief moment of hesitation, Jun-hyun nodded.

 

“Alright. I’ll do it. But Soo-ah, promise me one thing—if you ever need help, you’ll call me.”

 

Soo-ah didn’t want to cause him any trouble.

 

This would be the last time.

 

But she pretended to agree readily.

 

“I will.”

 

“Go now. I’ll stay here for about thirty minutes before leaving.”

 

“Thank you, Senior.”

 

Soo-ah slowly rose from her seat.

 

Before heading to the restroom, she deliberately approached Seo Mun-hwon.

 

Sitting with his legs crossed and leaning back on the bench, he looked up at her with an amused glint in his eyes, his hands tucked into his pockets.

 

“What? Do you have something to say?”

 

As Soo-ah simply stared at him without speaking, he stood up. Getting close enough that their bodies almost touched, he muttered in disbelief,

 

“What the hell is this?”

 

Catching the scent of alcohol on her, he wrinkled his nose in distaste.

 

“You drank.”

 

“Yeah, I did. Because I wanted to.”

 

“You looked like you were having the time of your life with that guy.”

 

“He’s a good person.”

 

“Did you come all the way here just to say that?”

 

“I have a favor to ask. Please don’t tell Min Ihan about this.”

 

“So, you don’t want me to tell him you drank and flirted with another man?”

 

“Yes. Ihan oppa doesn’t like it when I meet other men. I don’t want him to bother Senior. I don’t want him to give him a hard time because of me.”

 

Mun-hwon sneered at her.

 

“Is he really that great? He’s just a pale, weak-looking guy.”

 

“Don’t talk about him like that.”

 

“Moon Soo-ah, do you think we have some kind of normal relationship? You used to beg for my cock, moaning like you loved it. And now you’re getting mad over some other guy? That’s disappointing.”

 

“That wasn’t what I wanted. I lost a bet, that’s all.”

 

“If you hadn’t run away in the first place, we wouldn’t have ended up sleeping together.”

 

Soo-ah glared at Mun-hwon with sharp eyes and continued speaking.

 

“I’m going to drink more with Senior. I’ll be home really late. Just so you know.”

 

“That guy’s got a pretty face. Planning to fuck him?”

 

“Don’t talk so crudely. And even if I do, it’s none of your business.”

 

“That’s not going to work. I have to report back if I want to get paid.”

 

When he was the one who held me tight when I tried to run, now Seo Mun-hwon was acting as he pleased.

 

“If that’s the case, should I talk about how we slept together too? Should I tell him everything about the conditions you set?”  

 

“I don’t see why not. I’ll tell him in full detail. How you were dying for it every time I thrust into you. How you were pretending to run away when you were actually addicted to my cock.”  

 

“It wasn’t because I liked it. It was just my body’s reaction. I hate you. I really hate you.”  

 

“You know, there’s a saying that opposites attract. When someone says they fucking hate something, sometimes it means they actually fucking love it.”  

 

Unable to communicate with him any further, Soo-ah turned away in anger.  

 

“Think whatever you want. If you want to tell Ihan oppa, then do whatever you please.”  

 

Throwing out those cold words, Soo-ah walked into the building and headed for the restroom.  

 

Pretending to wash her hands, she carefully opened the back door and scanned her surroundings. It was a narrow alley between buildings, and no one was passing by.  

 

Seo Mun-hwon was at the front entrance, so he wouldn’t know about this path. Soo-ah slipped out the back of the building and ran towards the student hall.  

 

The student hall was connected to the back gate, making it easy to escape, and even during the vacation, the doors remained open.  

 

There was also a space reserved exclusively for textile art students. She just had to hold out for 24 hours. Soo-ah planned to stay in that room for a full day.  

 

***

 

Upon entering the department room, she quickly punched in the passcode and locked the door behind her.  

 

She hesitated, considering where to hide, and then her eyes landed on a large cabinet.  

 

The cabinet was big enough to fit two adults inside. If she hid in there, it wouldn’t be easy to find her. Even if Seo Mun-hwon made it to this place, he might overlook her if she stayed hidden inside.  

 

Soo-ah crawled into the cabinet, determined to endure until nightfall.  

 

If she could stay out of his sight until this time tomorrow, she would win, and he would have no choice but to let her go.  

 

By the time the sun rose and noon passed, she would escape through the back gate. Even if she got caught later, by then, a full 24 hours would have passed. Then, she would be free. Clutching onto that hope, Soo-ah stepped into the cabinet.  

 

Originally, it was meant for storing thread and fabric, but since most of the graduation projects were finished, it was now empty.  

 

It was spacious enough that she fit inside comfortably. She curled up and shut the door. Even though she was slightly tipsy from the alcohol, the inside of the cabinet was freezing.  

 

A chill ran through her, and her body trembled as heat began to rise within her.  

 

She had been feeling slightly feverish since the morning, but she had brushed it off and hadn’t brought any fever reducers or painkillers.  

 

There was a pharmacy near the back gate, but going there meant risking losing her chance to escape.  

 

It’s fine. I just need to last one day. Soo-ah curled up, resting her head on her knees, and imagined a hopeful future.  

 

I’ll set up a small studio in a place full of trees and paint to my heart’s content. I’ll draw just like I did when I was with my father. I’ll sketch the house I lived in as a child, the places I’ve stayed, and then bring them to life with the colors of wood and air.  

 

Once the paintings are complete, I’ll dye the threads and weave them into a tapestry.  

 

Even as her consciousness blurred and sleep pressed heavily upon her, Soo-ah held onto that thought.