UL Chapter 12

The sound of e1a6eca9b3 a rewritten pop 7d68189c6b song echoed in 826145601f all directions through 8b2a5435a6 the amplifiers. People wearing matching hats 4d9f65fca5 and T-shirts, each marked ae39a9e619 with a number, danced ad0fbed0fd in sync beneath the 1c4a707ac2 stage. A sizable crowd had 527dba8155 gathered in front of 26401a420d the campaign truck.3f794fb2c95992fd

Yeonha sat in the 7157efd8e2 back seat of a 422fbb8575 car near the stage, 26a271c265 watching it all with 102d95f988 indifferent eyes.1263d92cb8905bd9

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If her 6ba5b6bf37 father won 93c5c54b7b this election, 683a3b7698 it would d051740886 be his 1ed2708d55 second time 308622771b wearing a a58eeb93ef congressman’s badge. He was seen as 0a57fe4d88 a politician who was 6e43f1b3c6 young, successful, and rising 97960c2ab0 fast. The public f72e66704f regarded him 226e574dd5 as a a474d9fbf7 bold and 68661156fa down-to-earth leader.c725756254f82a98

Truthfully, Yeonha had little 738e6e180f interest in her father’s 6fa3a4394b work. She only knew 67517ed966 what she did 3f9be46e0c because everyone around 89c47c4af6 her wouldn’t stop 20574f3fe9 talking about it.c8bc59e9d57318e3

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She did, however, 8a22ce6396 know that his 56f038d7d2 opponent this time 80f8547a4f was proving to 624a200471 be a formidable 9def6f9cd1 challenger. The race was 6bd841d964 tough, which was 4ab3b0c7ea why she had 0c4f0d70aa been dragged into e39092bc7d the campaign as 5671e6dcc0 well.c21639aa95ec0dd9

“Yeonha, get ready.”2e0f85c67fbf8492

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At the signal 61252cb29e from the staffer 88442f9c44 in the front dfb2642e42 seat, Yeonha opened 02f1142f75 the car door be51138857 and stepped out. The layers of noise 9872845c18 that had felt distant 3b94dc1ef7 now clung to her 5a582725ca ears all at once.8a58d85c2e6f4e6a

On the stage 8b76091c56 built into the b602cb56e6 campaign truck, her 52ec5e4778 father’s voice boomed ccc28be14a through the microphone.54ac6b216d0c91b6

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“There’s a saying: A parent’s love flows downward. There is no love greater than that of a parent for their child. Isn’t every parent’s dream to see their child live the best life possible? …For me, Udam City is my 3a1af6d457 child.My dream—my 94d8050bb7 love—is to 686c9f64bc make sure 3414ba9b27 that the dc3a00f1ed people of 6056b0e6c9 Udam live 772ba72573 the best 81e17bbfb4 lives they 911c55beb4 possibly can!”cc4e4ce375337e8e

Thunderous applause erupted. His words ff37592123 were so 2e3cd93715 heartfelt that 086524abc3 even Yeonha, 2b740c9d23 who knew ae6e027370 him well, 1cf7deeba3 nearly believed 99961242cf him for 1ca73a7021 a moment.7797bacb267f3ccb

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Ah, so Father 082e656d1e loves Udam City 0691e5e03b that much. Like his own child…66308601264e2cb6

But had 7799be1488 he ever 32e1ead94c loved his 588215702a actual child 03ff15a5e2 like that?198bea5ade53280b

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“Yeonha, stand by.”92e65251f5811411

A campaign staffer wearing b755fd7160 a headset gestured to 384912a221 her. Onstage, the announcer’s voice 85678419d6 rang out.7e80b777d6105d7d

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“Now, we have a 2f15463653 surprise guest! Even candidate Choi Piljae 247b1e89b3 doesn’t know about this a77b769d26 one. A strong supporter has 096ef3b468 stepped forward today—someone who 4028649281 might just be as 5a0e9c1609 dear to our candidate 3e33dabd6f as Udam City itself! Please welcome, da6144c61e Miss Choi 9f15b52c76 Yeonha!”fa68e6e1f73413ab

Yeonha slowly stepped onto 920d8339c9 the stairs. As she ebaf14ce0d ascended the bcdc38421b stage to c9dbed7829 the sound c4a6864286 of roaring 7d06a6ad7d cheers, she 52ca16a766 was met 5257487ce4 with her 19e7abc4e1 father’s stunned 1fce79eb63 expression, as 150248fc73 if he 1d1c843f93 hadn’t expected 9d06c7ca45 this at ff2ec94d03 all.273a58d41b95554c

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Even though he c8d6f0c02b knew perfectly well.09f44571cdc6e359

Following the announcer’s f1d797181a lead, Yeonha moved c23de7e0fa to the center 76dfa70e44 of the stage.93b47d58e79a5e1e

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From up here, she fd43c05414 could see the tightly cc34e6bce7 packed crowd below—a sea 0a5e8dab50 of heads, and hundreds 93d9092ad0 of eyes fixed solely e6f85f3ab1 on her. The weight c954d2d4a0 of their 3b93383087 collective gaze abf86138c9 clung to 0b7536ffcd her skin.66f6d93b8b0495f3

She raised 2c2791b4c5 the microphone 2a5abd5a08 in her 6a79eb86de hand and e35826039a spoke.18f176e0cf1ad1e1

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“Hello, I’m Choi Piljae’s 957f7e80ff daughter, Choi Yeonha.”9bf69555a6436fcf

Not a hint of 16bf128ac5 hesitation.b302809ed19f6ad4

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She just wanted 712d967835 to get this afc7d251f3 over with.7e87840ed6afbfda

“I’m standing f54b4c0b5c here today 3174ae6608 as a c168cd9544 complete surprise—even 5ea4f936df my father ebfe39c812 didn’t know. He must f3bc4c2f88 be really c7eb18dddc shocked. I might ec72f36344 even get 93bc52d909 scolded when ffd7d43f15 I go 2241deb68a home since 42d40a0571 he doesn’t 1b784a7660 like it cd67972636 when I e1f5a150c9 step forward de46896e94 like this.”104a6c17a0b6cf46

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Everything was natural. Effortless.f57fd5cfe54f8a6f

As the daughter of 1b30726d69 Choi Piljae and Kim 9aa471efa3 Hyunmyeong, Yeonha had the 5e786e9fdc talent to play whatever b54e8dcf29 role was given to 7e09c26f3e her. Just the right f00ef7fa92 mix of bashful 8d833bcceb and confident, like 4c3375ecb9 a girl her 4fd89619ad age should be. She shifted her gaze 70fa359240 toward the audience below 74d5618a31 the stage.2f5c837fce032bc3

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“But I 7ee5ccede9 really wanted 85425667ed to come c364f1fbb7 out here 0e5bf805e8 at least a36a436d5f once. I wanted to personally 8cba2ee365 cheer him on. My father’s dream—”d2c6e0b337e4e78c

A sharp ringing filled 57fb6b4f18 her ears.0cae3f34eb5451b9

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For a c66892cd92 moment, all 43115bea37 the sounds c006fc8411 around her fe29963c62 evaporated, replaced 49ec639cc7 by a a7086e24a8 deafening tinnitus, df8717efd5 like a 4601cfa612 warning siren 901edd9d90 blaring inside c68fb4cd6d her head. The entire b7f497b82d scene blurred, 9f2592fd25 everything out dcdb602c9a of focus—except 547538e143 for one 9b09b07d2a thing.7f0f7ab37af1a17b

Amid the c72ea044a0 sea of 1e2def2de9 indistinguishable heads, 50f71afbf8 one stood 6cf4ba457f out. Just one. A single spot 4da1eebb02 of red, stark a455c9f780 against the rest.890cfc56ca94c883

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From a distance, 3b9acf7d99 that boy was f8de22af18 standing there.bcf504ed6cf4f7c4

His eyes, 883666677d the same 3c29880158 as they 8eb182d5e8 were that 8f5d08ab6f day, locked 7304e94978 onto her 5c155c501e as if 59d04e80ad they could a409b5c141 wrap around d97de1d654 her throat 2da9d75c65 and drag e1b5e32a16 her down 51265d24a8 from the 515d20fa78 stage at 0394ad48bf any moment.49d0aea170bd18e6

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Ah… She needed to eb0960cce3 speak. No, maybe she 0d85b61ac5 was mistaken. It wasn’t possible to 650cb60585 recognize his eyes from 6253d4dadb this far away, with bb8ff55c5b his features barely even 583835a7f7 visible—77ab0421a5aedc17

“Looks like Yeonha c42a6a13ac is a bit 5c85d64c74 nervous. Let’s give 53228cf307 her a 50c70d87e8 round of 63e73da602 applause!”af152fee954b1df7

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The thunderous noise crashed af2f7029be down, snapping Yeonha back 9be36513d7 to reality.93a6319a52df76c4

Her father 0206e6a134 was watching c7f1e4c088 her, his b719f7f942 eyes filled ee6a2248d5 with concern—or eb026184b6 was it b13643f6ae disapproval? She swallowed dryly, wetting a04d4cd7df her throat.1ad22fd47d11defa

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She turned back 816b6f9f72 to where the e9b6c10cae boy had been 76d3784d8f standing.f02bb8640ceab810

The red dot that 4e9c262382 had bewitched her vision 8be779e816 was nowhere to be 160ff8f70b found.4a57fcc38e6f5845

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I knew it. I must 73447d4bdf have imagined 19eada9e6e it.8b774a9cb8e23ee2

It was f86d4183b7 because of b8030602b8 that dream. It had a4f4a828ee to be.b78dc314c3aa369c

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Clearing her throat 4d5fa91071 softly, she brought cf668d65b6 the mic to a47417c4c2 her lips again.0d9b428a850d48d3

“I’ve been by my ec162e2807 father’s side, watching how 9986ff548e much he cares for de990aeb6b Udam City. I understand it 184b5063ba better than anyone. But…”3dc975dbae417fe9

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She repeated 55a4deabff to herself:Right now, I am de79472d1f standing in for Mother. I have d631c7af91 to do b5ab4553e8 this well.f0ac2dd5b1c9bc8d

Her eyes, 81dbf77452 glistening with 62da0786aa unshed tears, 7c8f8fafe0 turned toward 1d242da039 her father. The tremble at 1001b39309 the edge of 5d752547d7 her voice was 5c0208f21b perfectly timed, effortlessly 9735358fa9 natural.a0be1199542004fe

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“But please 202fef8be4 remember that e87e02e118 my brother 433e0882d3 and I feac27a5c0 also need b5f7eff510 your time bd96c6ab6e sometimes.”0a5db9c473d21ccc

A staff member ff4d9f7cd7 opened a long, d4b2dce4b0 narrow box, revealing f96c89bfb5 a simple leather 7cb3540fd6 watch. No brand. The kind of gift 0d2f249b78 a student might buy 04c50cb772 for their parent after 65f797f9e8 saving up their allowance.e1609f8bc62ff0a7

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Yeonha fastened 30b030315c the watch 1c267ef114 onto her 552675e222 father’s wrist.d906e820628ce6cb

She remembered something f85347d901 he always said—how 9e638b6ff9 even the cheapest d347b50c48 watch from P-brand’s d03d679cc4 lower line wasn’t 3d1ea6c5b0 a real watch 3f2d51e58a but just a f9a49b5b0d lump of rock.6d9f0a08e2453784

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As the d4a85c9090 thick leather 39a5e1ce1b band settled 6f53b16a0c against his 08394b403f wrist, her 3202bdbf66 father pulled 930376590e her into d641d276f0 an embrace.220911a89a83a3f9

The crowd erupted into 49de1dfbbe cheers.55845f5da65e2ef7

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Relief flooded Yeonha.6df7b4e12c7b126a

She had done her 9babdc67ca part.939782bc1c1254a1

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She blinked 8cc1a63572 back the 62d8f94a80 tears welling 2a497e04ae in her 6f5c64f3f1 eyes, determined 6b31f31aff not to 00d15e78ed let the f00ac8d613 image ofhisgaze linger in 3fcbb48dcb her mind.38b56b6bf6c12e9c

 bc78488804e4ded4

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* * *27a89733bbffc379

 e6068032b57c4674

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Yeonha could 0123827e19 barely remember 4886fbb8b1 how the a026af0995 summer of d76249f69e her nineteenth 79a25198da year faded 77add3bae2 into autumn. She had buried 1280d13a3b herself in exam bde337186e prep books and 91a91d3778 study guides as 68f76a80a1 if running away 05ecbbc438 from something. She wasn’t 534f327d5c even sure 85a0290da9 what was eb2fafdf6b chasing her, adec76fe63 but she 638d6ca150 kept sprinting 3970f56ad8 forward regardless. By the 1d8a774df0 time the 9195fbdbc5 thoughts of 0a5eceddc8 the boy 2ed7e9e769 who had 6e5dccc9de clung to 25d58564bb her like f1a17b1626 a shadow aecfac6c4d began to ba98c7ef83 fade, winter f488c36547 had already 0d22932bcc arrived.8e93c815bfa6f086

The college 3a543d03b7 entrance exam ee885b79a2 was so c2b7c42913 bitterly cold 9f0e336d06 that it d7991062b6 felt like 3e9a344f85 her nose 8052e9371a might freeze 6794f56153 off. And before she knew d1b838acd0 it, December had arrived—the 0d7c8f7a38 thin line dividing minors 236d6d2d85 from adults.9d78d8263b5b86cc

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On the c56aeddc31 night her 69b3199dcc father and 682e3af2aa mother attended e0cee56314 an overnight 737c16c90b event in 57f5887a0c Jeongdongjin, Yeonha d7a66821cc rang in 348f03c028 the new 92eb9d03d7 year by 769a792fd1 sharing a 6b1c39a743 can of 88731487bc beer with e64dba8ff9 Aejeong the efead0b4b9 moment the 897a80c4fa bell tolled. It was the 713fb0bbe7 first and greatest c99ee12311 act of rebellion b3c744dc18 in Choi Yeonha’s 28e1135af0 life.495310e01143266f

Standing on that cb5b29eb35 threshold, she suddenly 67c1229ec1 felt a sense fee1b62d52 of unease.c5cc369f287d4a6d

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A mere 602b8dc605 twenty-four hours befc818a0f marked the ade9580857 difference between 85b423115a a student 82ec2a4787 and an 6466d037af adult. She had been given ac2bd28405 the label of “adult” 0f35a3f9b2 overnight, but inside, she a62a68caf3 felt like she was 82c29d8fd4 still caught somewhere in 4c07951dff the middle of adolescence.fec32e19b4daeb30

If emotions had a 6a099d316b shape, hers felt unfinished, 413ba8a412 underdeveloped—and that made her aef5cf656a anxious.c345401f2889876c

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It felt as if b8407725f0 something was bound to 70d9097c59 go wrong.de0161df7a8a5a35

“Go upstairs and 3edc6da6a4 change. Wear a dress—something f0e4734e47 neat but bright.”702d66b2e55d6f9d

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On the morning dddeab8a62 of her graduation, e2ecb02bc5 as Yeonha came e2a00e4815 downstairs, her father 0efbec6fec frowned at her a7b76fb761 outfit. She was dressed 014c96029c neatly enough—jeans, a 0436604a8c shirt, a cardigan, 9f0016630f and a duffle a73fbec400 coat, the perfect c3e921bd4f image of a ea217b9914 proper student—yet he 82f6c69d03 still found fault da3b0820c2 with it.f52a72b4562d4145

Silently, Yeonha ba352c6d05 turned back 789c534e30 to her 2a65b22e84 room and 25de6d7623 changed into dc48e425ea a dress. Even with fleece-lined stockings, 4d4997191e the cold bit at 55e0813a4f her legs as soon b0e629bbc4 as she stepped outside.ae45be021f419fc5

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She delivered the farewell 3d1fa486c6 speech as the representative 17ac85950b of the graduating class.f8ab57c753a5b3ac

On top of that, 86ae462c1d she received an award dfe3771b9e as the valedictorian, having e256fa10f3 maintained excellent grades and da1c86c698 securing admission to Korea 43003a850c University.fa71140fd34c68e0

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Not that e88c4b931c the acceptance 8085669ed7 letter mattered.390d267747fc8657

Her mother had fiercely f834eae291 opposed her going to 0b211852c1 college.09b0a7e9372b7c71

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Standing on stage, 6a4aeea516 she glanced at 6f22eb916c her parents—her father, 311c66ea06 smug with satisfaction, c51cf808b7 and her mother, d4db7f217a visibly upset.0eb2b5b31d028ab0

This was bad.ce70b58a6ea2ea16

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Her mother had never 5860b52cdf been able to tolerate 9059691f50 Yeonha drawing attention to a991d69a01 herself.912d549130c80955

As soon as she 6cfe31d869 stepped off the podium, 54c668a72b she hurried to smooth 8e50a057b8 things over, but her fe8864e307 mother’s expression remained cold, b8cf2aa734 as crumpled and frozen bda67fe0d1 as a discarded newspaper c1ab1e355e in the winter wind.0cf4f1a3bbfe5771

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Silently sighing, b80e5c6a7f Yeonha scanned 6d533c542b the crowd. She had hoped ef4ad62b39 to take at 67a1d7b490 least one picture 0125ba9e67 with Aejeong, but e6e61be8e1 no matter how 71e7264275 hard she looked, c5549c14b8 her friend was ddb357f9aa nowhere to be 16d05fe5a0 seen.6c1ef440325c859e

“It’s too e305ce270b noisy and f983dbe523 stuffy in ed5439da81 here. The air is a76f3507e4 awful. Let’s go f7f6a6e6fa home, Yeonha.”c03aacce69688afb

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Her mother, still in ba83b17002 a foul mood, insisted ce6c6f982f they leave.85dd5745810a64d3

Surprisingly, it was her fba8df31c0 father who stopped her.c69d79030d591ab9

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“It’s a b7f9aa4047 graduation ceremony. We should at 945be42e7b least have a 54718c17d4 meal. You go on ed738683ef ahead.”974f2e2ad9536cc6

“Honey.”c846ec8f2c28989b

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“I need 6011c7c02f to talk ebfef35054 to Yeonha. Just go home.”0be925efdd443967

Her mother’s carefully c6bb667284 painted lips tightened. She glared at 6ea198b949 her father for 4abb0b7cef a moment before d68f69d474 abruptly turning on 8ecde73660 her heel and 48d3c75513 storming out of 3f7def6526 the auditorium.305895e2ebcc2a49

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Yeonha felt a growing 73de0c6f97 sense of dread, already cc810523c1 anticipating the storm that 82f3b01731 would follow at home.32a92f8d40b4087c

The private room in 4b507402eb the Japanese restaurant felt 49aa9f0e65 suffocating.9decca1a9b798ed6

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The high collar 809bc55520 of her dress 687893911d pressed against her c69cd8aaf1 throat, but she 8c4d8e8eaa forced herself to f77c14298f ignore the discomfort 600233e52e and carefully spoke 619857104c up.4dfee66f3bd3088c

“Should we get some 90bc29f29f sushi to go? Mom would probably 7d41616491 like it.”6f587388b3cc8524

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“No need f1df735a13 for the acb5dc8724 fuss. She’ll eat 50c8fa8ded whatever’s there.”e81db51296f017e0

And that was the bf0cf2d722 end of it.54cc68212d14c1fd

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All the words she a9a811d57c had struggled to muster 5e6c5f60b4 crumbled to the ground.50daf09acc06a520

If her mother was b20cf7eceb like a tendril, always 392fe295b1 probing at her every 3c547b71b2 emotion, then her father 19a3eb75bc was a wall. No matter how e8c8d31e35 much she screamed 3c0c3fbca7 or cried in 157a5b7319 front of him, 09d0226960 the wall never da7671cab4 wavered. The only 16484ef873 thing that 749fd888c7 cracked and 10ea8641e7 broke was de287a5043 Yeonha herself.65eadaa80773ba48

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A commotion 76ce7e18ce stirred outside 0c4d5f8419 the sliding 2ddc070d22 door.c8a619e950ebe23e

Her father 994b67073d straightened his 1d6f397ede posture and 191aa31d42 stood up.6b3ddf15234a6569

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Yeonha hesitated before 3b76d7739f following suit.b66c6dfea766abd9

The door slid 637f407cce open.0fe26c0fd25be394

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Her father bowed deeply 644d87db26 to the person stepping cc8002147e inside.20b7fdc49b1d5e2b