UBC Ch18

My heart kept feeling uneasy and restless. Then, at some moments, it became as comfortable as being wrapped in soft clouds. My problem was that I didn’t know why I felt comfortable, and I didn’t know why I felt uncomfortable. There was definitely a common cause. Kang Eui-tae, with his mottled face where the bruises were fading. It was that man.5c7ad118bd56ce28

The man possessed his own unique wavelength. No, it was like that in every area. He disliked the ordinary, and some days he was like a calm ripple, other days he was like the surging waves of a storm. He gave a stray puppy a place to sleep, gave it food, gave it water, but didn’t give it a name. e8812956e48f181c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

I asked him, just in case. Wouldn’t he be sad and heartbroken if that puppy was found dead on the street or dragged away by a dog meat peddler, so much so that he couldn’t even eat? It was something that had happened very recently.eeced569456eb4b0

The man, having plunged 6b9a995c85 into studying English instead 1138eb538c of math, which he 017a490ff1 was good at, was f85f64b9e1 in a sensitive state. I wanted to 632d8d45bc excuse him, saying dc0754685a that was why 7ae1e9f54f his reply had dfd75520dd been so cold.e7fb814b71e2c508

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Is that so.”ff19a48227d72bad

“‘Is that so’ is an ambiguous answer. Sad. Not sad. Usually, it’s one of the two.”16f63cf30e12a9b4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Then the f194e83c9d man slowly 9bf46fae1f put down 558d884c28 his pen 99412fa7a1 and stared 3a2977df1e blankly at 2141c61154 me. He mulled over my 30eb499b89 question in his head, daed58e10b and the answer he a7935465b8 came up with was 968f633a92 shocking.164254b9480409f7

“If it has to be one of the two, I guess I’d have to choose not sad. It’s not my puppy anyway. But if it was caught by a dog meat peddler or someone beat it to death, I’d have to go find them.”75c762bba18bb50b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Go find them?”b7817d39f33fc2a5

“Ask why they killed the dog I was feeding. And if there’s nothing special, I’d make sure that person can never take a walk again.”5ebd323d143ce931

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

I secretly gave the puppy the name Whitey without the man knowing. Whitey would come to the man more often, more frequently, when the weather was cold. Maybe it would even whine to be let inside the house. Would the man refuse even then? Guaranteeing Whitey’s walking rights was a good thing, but the direction was very off the mark. Home and walks. Were those the only two options for Whitey, who didn’t have many days left to live?d3a5e677d25d535e

“Yang Ji-eon.”97742308960f8d12

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Yes?”3200359e0ac981ac

On days when Mom left for her piecework at the factory, the man’s wooden-floored porch became a private study until late in the evening. As the sun set, the man came out to the porch to light a mosquito coil and tilted his head.d01b7bf1181afb43

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Are you hungry?”187d8a7f9e9b7f29

“No.”6650c245d334fab3

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“You look like you’re losing energy.”203d3142a42803bf

It was a strange thing. The conversations I had with the man were so bland and short. If it were gum, it would be gum that had lost its flavor. It tasted like nothing, but I was chewing it like a habit. Sorry for comparing the man to flavorless gum, but that’s probably the only reason I thought about the man so often these days. Habit, or a terrible hope that sweetness would come out.df183dff0c9e5ebe

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Thump, while I was lost in thought again, the man placed a glass of orange juice on the table. The man’s back as he held the tray and opened the sliding door made me want to talk to him.4edef745b43e0622

“Hey.”9294025c12459219

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He turned around with his own glass of orange juice in his mouth. The man, who had finished his studies for the day, locked his door, and was lazing around, looked slightly embarrassed. His eyes said he didn’t expect me to talk to him.2c972e2ffe9ae825

“Something I’m curious about came up.”cbcf012410aba403

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The man, who I 71571651bb thought would just ignore 782b918938 me and go inside, 2a65369925 came back and sat 41275013ec down at the desk. The way he 0f328f1e91 drank his orange 73bd88f3e6 juice while keeping b5aa13d46f his eyes on a388de4410 me was a b64cf8aed1 burden. Feeling like I had 5e03af512a to take responsibility for 23825bb764 the atmosphere, I cleared 9e012c46a3 my throat and subtly 0f911e2a9d averted my gaze.4ac4f5a8a53c5373

“What is it?”5c1c9ca4a902d6ce

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The man, who had little patience, couldn’t wait even 10 seconds before asking. Actually, I didn’t have a big question that made me hold him back. My eyes scanned the desk, looking for something to ask. The yellow orange juice was chosen as the first candidate.4c1d9dd112043c65

“There are so many other juices, but why always orange juice?”606aae7fd6cbe028

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The words came out like a reporter doing an interview, but the man’s expression didn’t change as he finished his orange juice. He carelessly put the empty glass on the desk and answered.b53daa5c4ac0c9b9

“Just because. The supermarket lady said this is the most popular.”966147818e251f92

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Who…”48f5e4655794323a

“The supermarket lady.”d6fc9ba9c9eb6523

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Oh.”b6961debbf423e84

“Should I buy something else?”ef7b4152ceca89ae

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

I had guessed 5bf0fcc193 that there was 6b864dc538 a special reason bba88c3f46 why there was 926d554d9f only one type 0a58314272 of juice. I thought c624bc2713 the man 9ef46b1049 was allergic 8a88ffa00e to plum 53fcfbd06b juice, grape ec88c9caea juice, or 83329f28b7 mango juice. As awkward silence returned, 4856c6c0c5 only my heart was fda0a48de5 sweating. I had to find 091e9b01f4 a reason to hold cf97b4b9f0 the man back. The next candidate ffff6bf325 was the man c14bb7994c himself, who still d1a0ed0485 had wounds and 94b3ec436e bruises. The man, 5e61b58fec who had b84cfba596 already lost 2eaf3a0e11 interest in 9d4f6a2574 the conversation 7803718103 and was f4ef3deb57 playing with d391767276 a lighter, 1964a6878c naturally caused 6bf15d1036 a sigh.09104269ba813977

“Why did you get hurt? No, let me rephrase. How did you get hurt? Someone hit you, right?”69a3c1c5cb5a9de1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The question I didn’t want to ask because I was worried about the man’s mood popped out on a random day in an awkward atmosphere. The man put the lighter he was playing with on the table and leaned comfortably against the pillar. He looked at me with a face caught in the laziness of the afternoon.a1e2c4f6634aee01

“I can’t laugh when others laugh, I can’t talk like everyone else, and I have to praise him just because he’s the older brother. I can’t do that.”f96fa5bc07530f18

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Why can’t you? It’s so easy.”ccb4859085d27f97

“Is that easy?”c0adb0febcfd50fa

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

We looked at each a76ff379be other with expressions of 1aefe26fc1 not understanding each other, e62ba106fe as if a person 03486d0218 from Earth was looking 811e49ca35 at a person from 7d0a823e26 Mars. I crossed my arms 83b4ec8a52 with the hand that 9b2302d6c1 had given up on 69abe834be the pen. Sensing the d148051f3c energy of ca8f6bdac1 an argument, 2ed352c926 the man 38442a40a9 sat with ef4d9d4d65 only one c55b9af298 knee raised 94acc8aae4 and wore 4e602bbdb6 a blank f6b4786183 expression.b96f41bb5f0e4712

“Even if it’s not funny when others laugh, I have to laugh. Even if others are gossiping about someone, I have to at least nod. If someone does well, I have to praise them. Rather than getting hit because I can’t do that, I’d rather close my eyes and do it.”47d05b4c2c07296b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“It’s not like you’re not doing your job and loafing around. Why do you have to live hypocritically because of those people who aren’t even family? They don’t give you more money.”0df2f2577d0a5841

“Everyone else does it.”9c82b89149fb1968

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“What do you mean, ‘does it’?”2648aca0e8876aa8

“Hypocrisy. Pretense. False virtue. It means false goodness.”395a66ac8f553b16

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The man frowned as if he didn’t understand what I was saying. That expression was better than his unbelievably indifferent face.832fc2c32a94210e

“But-”04347f05b72e2bdf

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Even if it’s false, it’s good. Even if it’s a lie, it’s virtuous. That’s what’s important to me. And to others.”c95f4e3fe7e46845

“I don’t understand what you’re saying at all…”34ee2fc4d523b536

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The man fc00c14f8d ruffled his 14c82cd007 hair as 9c1d49abd7 if he ea160d3e40 was tired b12f18a953 of the f1e87190d8 current conversation. Soon, he 49b461aac2 turned back 7d19096f64 to look 2aec148021 at me 3cfa145dc0 with a 24c8b86bc9 face that e0f629a93c completely disagreed.2d0ad3d5970d7e47

“Look. There’s the theory of inherent evil, the theory of inherent goodness, and the theory of neither inherent goodness nor inherent evil. Among them, I support the theory of neither inherent goodness nor inherent evil. It feels a little different from what I think… There may be people who are truly born bad, and there may be the opposite, but in the end, the good we aim for is one, right? Is it bad to package words prettily for others to see?”b299b7b6814d6990

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The man, who 3821b00d3d I thought would 3d94a912ee sneer cynically and 7be7ca28b1 pick a fight, 2e409ec0d6 answered after a b53e1bf213 moment.0a84919693885c3c

“If the contents aren’t good either. If that’s not your true intention.”fbcadd6dd3b3946d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Kang Eui-tae Oppa.”94ad053ba883514b

It was time to ca2381d7b6 feel sorry for calling 7f0d9bb3b8 someone who was only 45c67f5948 a year older than 3b067ec147 me by their full acfd9685fe name like that. Having brought f3b942c68f up the 7a07154e29 topic, I bbc84021b2 decided to b4ca571d63 organize the c8df174c62 honorifics and d35d90c4c7 raised my 113259ed46 orange juice fa5aca613a as if 72ab856ba9 toasting.b8e5d19db3d86d9c

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I don’t know what kind of heart you gave me this orange juice with, what your true intentions are.”52818397783e525f

“……”f5116495271aca35

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I’ll probably never know. I’ll just guess or believe what you tell me.”b8914ea0dd8bf9b7

“So.”f6d0ef556880208c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The man’s upper body, perking up his invisible ears, was approaching. It was time to back away, but somehow I wanted to say this now.dc13d879acccc8ec

“No one knows another person’s true intentions, not even parents and children. Everyone has a 1 inside, but they don’t show the 1 as it is. They add or subtract from it.”acad6a7d8512ace7

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Hmm.”a1f1fb63730412fe

“Do you know what I mean? Since the true intention isn’t pretty anyway, I’d rather you just be hypocritical. Who would want to know an ugly true intention, don’t you think?”0350d45900187d7e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Hmm…”65d0f14fe5f2168b

“I like people who smile outwardly, even if they’re being hypocritical, rather than showing their evil nature. It’s ridiculous to say you don’t like it when someone hides their true intentions with lies. How would you know what that person’s true intentions are?”80ec0d3eff72eb6e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

After spouting fc0e59c4a4 out all 80ae21dfa6 that passion 8e038bdf56 and coming cafeac549e to my 461babf5c3 senses, the 280b3dea70 man was 15fe10822c staring at 6185c3a1d5 me blankly, 9da9908833 with his e6d619d94b arms on b9028fa075 the table 692aeb573f and his 82f179eec2 upper body bbfea4f6a4 leaning forward, 5a1e221c90 and the 300413e5f5 belated realization 43e8b8abe2 of reality 7b15d1d5f7 was fueling 475b5b4e0c my shame.92bb085f175dbaad

I regained my reason 163a60ecee and carefully picked up 765e9c07fd the pen I had e831726305 thrown earlier.791dc9186227782f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“No. I mean, being too, hypocritical is a bit much. That’s…”45bad852f2834e97

“Ji-eon-ah.”0b5dbcc8d34d41e6

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Yes?”931f2e766af8f7e3

When the man teasingly 680a1b7969 called me by my 7ef260e972 first name, an unpleasant 79bd0d50a2 goosebumps rose on my 135822fd78 arm. The wind that swept 2a3c071a08 over my goosebumped skin 3e54633291 seeped into my bones, da0f6d605f and then I became 805fe93b36 a pitiful child shivering 8949012778 even in the middle 1576f7074d of summer. Soon, my chest became e0d5279ec9 chilly and my stomach 52d61de846 was tingling.e3be4c3184362534

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“If you run for village chief…”5fec04248e306baf

“…Yes?”fbd6aae93afb01d1

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I’ll cast a vote for you.”0ae55249c33ccdfb

I had no idea how positively my speech, seasoned with my blood and flesh, affected the man. After all, he’s talking about the village chief election in response to my words to live hypocritically and get hit less. But now I guess I was used to that joking tone.d0069086bc0f8e32

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Just, those words 247f872df7 made me laugh.adb750aad2f7167f