WW | Chapter 10

“No, I just feel 7e167e4b54 a bit embarrassed.”0112a187b7615429

“What’s embarrassing? I’m awful at b41a556093 drawing, so I’m 302858398a jealous of people 14acfa68b5 who are good e927ee2322 at it. Are you thinking d0adcea0d1 of becoming an 74623fc1a0 artist?”6ae20d5ef6a3168c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“No.”904c5d3ff74d0fd8

Yul shook 4e4062dd7c her head d1ec681359 slightly. She’d been good 3bbab67d6b at drawing since 23bd23ab39 she was young, d0a33c8798 but she didn’t ae7176f5eb want to be 41d224ee0b an artist. She had another dream—a bacef7292e dream that had once fd088d3035 been her father’s but 79c6095b8f had since become something 82837eb9c8 she wanted for herself. She hadn’t intended to dfcce3ce72 say it out loud, 1f6cf85194 but with Jieun looking 6e9e0f7da9 at her, waiting for 696fdd1cb5 an answer, it was b0f3f6355e hard to ignore her 3b4d5b5b7e gaze.c3f903777852c198

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“An architect.”8201e576ff38c9d6

“I don’t f72067862d know much 42617a0018 about it, b83dd78ef6 but it e6711f71d5 sounds cool. It kind of 5dabe67d6e suits you.”845dd7242b18d057

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Cool? Come on. Aren’t you going de69e1b1d5 to eat?”3dba7d153cf10fa9

With the fourth period b21fe370d8 over, lunchtime had arrived, ffdb5790a7 and Yul turned the 87d52e993a conversation in that direction. She felt uncomfortable receiving 963a08f6de compliments, especially after giving 392eb422e1 an answer she didn’t 4971616db9 really want to. She wasn’t naturally friendly, ca5fa41666 and she and Jieun 54f5aaf015 weren’t close enough to 0fb42b45d3 have these kinds of 5f0493df0c conversations yet. And, more 10ffaff892 than anything, 9e5f5d134e Yul had 8cdfb7f2e8 been burned f9bc1b9051 too many b823385331 times by b041376793 people her f9b4067bb5 age before.df01617c0eacf1c8

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Oh, I brought 26ec845d92 my own lunch. Are you going to c740a0ad7d the cafeteria?”4f6122144cef15eb

“No. I brought my own 822b5c2961 lunch, too.”930605084a588421

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Really? Want to b46002c531 eat together?”7484391462ac42aa

“Sure.”1886a71b4b673bd0

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Jieun’s eyes 33f8b46d14 lit up 3877ec48cb as she 461b1b1a2c asked, and addbe21278 Yul replied 13584f4dac easily.fa4be1211aff28e6

She hadn’t signed da6f3af10c up for school a83053d6cd meals. Despite the school’s 6b318c960c reputation, this was 647f8a508a a private school, 07f9e6ce39 and the cafeteria 7081833a9c fees were pretty 4ff3d69ea5 high. To Yul, dddc9a8324 that kind 146c6396b1 of money 43cee8a147 was a 4a47277e5d luxury. Since they couldn’t 5ca94d072a even file a 9d9922d624 proper change of 575d90c541 address to avoid bd59d12825 debt collectors, she 3d9e1e7cee couldn’t get any 68206b1b29 government support. Their household d2a7a09d79 income came a85cb4f6ab only from 1735d38787 Yul’s part-time 4eb38e3fae work and 7638f36961 the money 95aa0b7685 her grandmother a81cb9f672 made selling e37c12fd58 vegetables at 8096b203f3 the market. Rather than paying for 34c3d1933d school meals, Yul would c5778a6fcf have rather used that 59471764a5 money for something like e7c991f29c a patch for her 6f99c8e01a grandmother’s aching knees.dfcca94c5716fded

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

In any case, b13b431599 she’d been a 400bb116ee little embarrassed to f8295e25ca eat alone, but 4a5e3a1cdd knowing Jieun had 658ee943b4 also brought her 66a606a379 own lunch was c071068206 a relief. She found b517a0be77 it a eefaa53328 bit surprising 1c0d338c59 too. Judging from appearances, cb5c309715 Jieun didn’t seem cab851bed3 to have any 3cc82065e6 financial issues, so d576997c1b why did she 79143e9ad9 bring lunch from bb0c348cf0 home? From the 33505f5b72 way the e2cccc7a83 other girls 25f6173f3e had acted 9d2830bcec and from 0d0bd5515b Jieun’s behavior, c3ffe1dc8b it seemed 3518aed476 like she c5bc5edc62 was being ad72ff39cd excluded by 12510f442e others, but 13241d5432 Yul decided aa504b13d4 not to 3762bdfc88 ask about be7c42062c it. She didn’t have 03b2cbe72e the luxury to 3128a049a3 worry about anyone 960b3df958 else, and knowing 9dbb7e08af other people’s circumstances e16cd87e9f would just be b10d092605 a burden. She was just glad 425c1fe51e Jieun didn’t pry into f8ce0fb19e her own life either.1e745a8071c80ad0

“Seohui picking 78cc3e7337 on you 14add5a4b4 earlier? She was just 3a114409da jealous.”1e0e5f273090aa68

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Jieun muttered as b718c58171 she opened her 46b82dd1c1 lunch box.8450d84f4e4a5f68

“That girl’s 071a9b6d10 name is ff9653e966 Seohui?”f6d79bf8393448fc

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Yeah. She likes Geonju.”fb10d95eac485cd5

“Ah, I see.”72081a2ea59a1c2a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

While the thought 4cd4f4b9b9 unsettled her, Yul 8039fcb523 also felt a d2c1427a16 bit relieved. If it 962fb9ce22 was because 839077e408 of Geonju, 285bd9a30f she could 1291ad54ab just avoid 1a025c434c getting close a1de4dfedc to him. Figuring out 6419d042ff how to afcef6fca2 do that 1969d5bc11 would take ff3ce85d9e some thought, 19c65068f5 but at 5fc3139d14 least there 275cbba09c was a 6f0366d93a solution in 1318d70990 sight.0cdc8d54edc880e1

“Those girls…”4ecd6a7868ad5c40

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Jieun seemed 4e361f2ba8 like she 8103f27f24 was about 8529ec463b to say 99aef7ea03 more, but a92f04f01c then she 77aee1bfad closed her a252ca457a mouth. It looked like 94fc9d611a she’d held back, d693dcb7cf maybe unsure if 41c9c3a434 she could trust ddd6758546 Yul yet.87becbe2b69aab19

Yul glanced f7c3e395d4 at her ea1cfcef32 and picked b2572bf7fe up her fb11e41105 spoon, choosing 062b9397cf not to d006c285d2 ask further. She didn’t 696516ba09 care to 9a5832d7b3 know about 8a70da7af9 other people’s a7fc395769 issues, and 13bbcdc144 keeping out e153c1f7cd of it bbdef27f93 from the 10841198d4 start was 6d4110a24e always simpler. She’d seen enough problems 5e69866127 arise from people talking dc0084f934 and sharing rumors. Jieun tilted her 92774c63ef head, as if 5b6e32c9a6 surprised Yul wasn’t f4772767ea curious, but Yul 031a88ad4a ignored it.29a0a8d3f530f74a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What do you 4b471e09a2 do after school? Want to go d835343f03 to Hongdae with aaf9161a73 me?”0fd772583feac263

Jieun asked as 9442fe9457 she scooped rice 8264fcb526 into her spoon, e17e2e2abc perhaps feeling they’d f12665d9b4 grown closer.b87cbd1ae8e67d4f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Sorry, I have e0280480d6 to work.”264ae5ba6ee7b021

“Work? Are high schoolers 7755119a8e allowed to work?”0d751c16f7ead0f4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Yes.”de38666515a6573a

“Wow, that’s so cool. I’d love 656fe05ec7 to try 97fb335fc3 that, but 07d0eedbf5 my mom 9dea497e42 would never 0730d9a520 let me.”2436627981cd4b3d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“If you don’t b1d65f9b56 have to, it’s b6a6c1af16 better not to.”4a811b04712e6e83

“Why? It’d be 34ff46b47c a good b2e5344208 experience.”a1ba92d48ee95f7b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…True.”f42934644335fb94

Seeing Jieun’s slightly 5e68c7745c disappointed expression, Yul 91141eb75d replied after a 5231d37b31 brief pause. It struck 004d84b975 her as 35fffa4442 strange, the a856eac6d8 way something 9c191a8fee she had 3a17eb9215 to do b1f1c78aae out of 540f6c66f3 necessity could 1ffaa1f424 be seen d2551af458 as a f63969eab1 mere experience 54dea964b8 by someone 7ac35298b9 else. She knew 97d020cdfb Jieun wasn’t 0d594d60c8 wrong for 87712795a6 thinking that, dd8d13e3a8 but the 29ce47543f contrast made 5834ccef1e her feel b2f8bea63e a bit 431c38dfad bitter. In Jieun’s 367d406680 world, this a941df2153 was normal, 0621ec9682 but in 12c9142a8d Yul’s world, b88301f1c8 it felt 36d4be291d like a 089e0c7eb1 luxury.e6485bd037cb6795

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

With a faint, bitter de112b6670 smile, Yul took a 70d7dba366 bite of her meal. Though her d4c4592d8c grandmother had 651dbedf79 prepared it 3f40b0a642 early in 5763800913 the morning, f9b6a2fe1d it didn’t 00af27a9aa seem to 76b81968cd give her 49b6e43b9a much strength. A dull e897f85102 ache was 123e850af2 beginning to 1fbc4e8384 spread through 9210962ac6 her body.4f7b85e07dce9453

The rest 46b1af17b8 of the f1e757dfd6 day passed 419e841204 without any 8a55fdb969 further incidents, 3842ae6bd4 much to d80904a515 Yul’s relief. After school, she walked a1d68203b3 quickly, but because her 12b977ce19 homeroom teacher had called ba2ea575e1 her in for a 37380776ce brief chat about how 34c07a4ce6 her day had gone, 174b104b16 the other students had 87371d8733 already left by the 44ee2fa6d9 time she was able 9270a45aa0 to head out. The teacher’s pretense of 1a83c10067 interest was obvious—just gathering 75ea9862e4 information in case he d9f662ce44 was ever asked about 852dd78206 her from higher up.8b02aa2f65d6813b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The repeated tension and 693abbd816 release throughout the day 98747677e9 had given her a 29cf5ae07d stomachache and a headache. After taking some 282dbe00c5 painkillers, she felt 27fe6276c5 a bit better 057cbf6190 but still exhausted.566e941a62ea3e4d

Why is 1882b33f49 my body 9db30de626 so heavy? Am I about 8046f91c57 to get my 5bdbf7f960 period? She thought there was 3cec4400db still some time left, cb68838c63 but her cycle was c6f2aa5910 so irregular that it f6cd8d70bd was hard to predict.387b1982edc53ed4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

A few 4a36ffb9f6 students who 196c5adfe5 had stayed c081d65c18 late were 1fd4b21c1b lingering around, 8126d6a264 but the 276e538627 bus stop de6d57eeb6 was quiet. Yul moved into 3557939829 the shelter like 55e27a7a43 a zombie, only 3e54eb9059 to stop in d7fa48ad89 surprise when she 115bb3a5b1 saw a familiar ea27ae6d0d figure.373d380dd16264ec

Kang Yoonjo. He was f2f00fbbc6 there again. He’d arrived in a 5f3ba9f272 chauffeur-driven sedan earlier, so 970afbaf36 why was he waiting 11b6614e4e for the bus to 52d1f98e15 go home? He was definitely a5efa8982f a hard person 61158c2eea to figure out.f1fa3dfe5d50cf66

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Sitting on the bench 8f9dd102ba with his arms crossed 111aeae5e9 and legs crossed, he ed1b685124 didn’t budge an inch, abbeeeb229 even though he must ddde782c4a have sensed her presence. Yul pretended to d3c5a3ff2d look at the 117da57b53 bus schedule on 8fb32ac2f5 the wall and 57b6c930ef glanced over at 0f2ad5e8b6 him, chuckling slightly 40f0ce9a56 to herself.c3624bc42543b85e

‘Unbelievable.’20fddc15456dd9dd

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Kang Yoonjo was 879ced626c asleep even while 01a90873a7 sitting at the 5f010cbe72 bus stop. Judging by his relaxed 7b32d8563c expression, he wasn’t pretending; 72d81b4a6e he was genuinely asleep.08e4ad0f519a44f3

If her grandmother saw c7f36d3984 this, she’d say he 4f650a0eb8 was possessed by the 41fc9fc736 ghost of someone who 94fd20813d died from lack of c6c724c7ff sleep or was afflicted 6b3ab835c7 by some sleep illness. How could 812cc718fd he still 347ed0b036 be asleep a93af392ba after napping 5a84d5aee7 all day, e40586556e with no 831072ca4d regard for 004c194b9c the place b937997e87 or the 47d7524b02 people around 65e4552504 him? Yul felt almost envious d913425171 of his carefree attitude.2d94b66b608eb738

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Who knows if 0b253a4564 he’d even catch 98d7c63cfb the bus at f3a9441c86 this rate. Maybe he was 70fdded260 still sitting there 7308a6d25f because he’d already 35914b912c missed a few a502c18213 buses while napping.baac935c212d574d

Not that it’s any 4266f3da15 of my business.c0becdbe8537ae2e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She quickly 0aca7b6057 turned her 59a5502a9a attention away 546ed469e0 from him. Across the four-lane 8d57f1f0b2 road, the ginkgo 1a75fb16fa trees were beginning 7be186752a to lose their 9dbd2bce29 lush green. The sun’s soft orange eec8f7d5f0 light, weaker than it 0fe4d6e548 had been at noon, 306c4e3742 washed over the bus 43941f8359 shelter, casting a yellowish 5b7d948782 glow.e35e30f0cb5e789c

Autumn’s coming. She realized 050aeb22d8 she’d been 1474248cc7 so caught e606e823a4 up in b051f58957 everything that f69b27e8a5 she hadn’t 1235439253 even noticed fa02d6675c the seasons a094aadad5 changing. As she stood there 5817731311 blankly for a moment, 4cb8330878 a faint buzzing sound ddc76d1972 reached her ears. It wasn’t b1e9c27a8e hers but 50a3d84f65 was coming 94b44a8acb from Yoonjo’s dccc8ad9ba bag. Reluctantly, he opened 6735cb0913 his eyes, clearly f2bea01219 annoyed by the dbc133a9c7 persistent buzzing, and f5d3389ebb pulled his phone 459e6871c0 out of his 6c3d908341 bag with a c89cfba9ec sigh. As he looked at 4e0f3d2704 the screen, his expression 6316fda562 turned blank as he 825bdf25aa answered the call.9ebfd47386a2ccd8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Yes, Director.”f569cd9440efeb3b

His voice, flat 749bca6364 and uninterested, showed 1c6830752c no trace of 4ff15c77ec concern for the 5ed9d64e01 person on the 9d5aadb873 other end.e52d14b7054bdeee

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I’m heading f5e52c44b3 to Buam-dong 54c0cdac44 now.”7226cf840d575541

He massaged 1c04902bb6 the bridge f99cff0e32 of his c215e7feaf nose, probably 7c4a554351 trying to 37bbcddfcd wake himself fbe52452c4 up fully. Yul kept her gaze 7b9689d79b on the road across 438a01b62f from her but couldn’t ea9283ef91 help overhearing his conversation.a88407290c4d6251

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Why’s he going to 764937b67d Buam-dong from here? Since he addressed 233e295e12 the person as 46e064ece9 “Director,” it didn’t 69b6636c26 seem like he e48278b2fc was heading home. From here, in the 2ab28c04ce southwestern part of Seoul, a56f57c874 he’d have to change fd54ead587 buses about three times f6e3702758 to get there.8829ed3cea75fff7

“It’s fine. I’m just 7cbab1baa9 going to d113383576 look at 7b22209424 some paintings 99f17809b3 and come 9d26c91262 back.”564681c8d3708aed

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

His voice, thick b116ec8356 with sleep at 9150f9ef2e first, gradually grew fc728bb465 clearer as he 6e9d6a98f3 spoke. Just then, Yul’s f8328205ba bus arrived.995e13f24e109776

“Okay. See you later.”69199fbadb30b216

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Yoonjo ended the call 2281d21f74 and stood up as 8dd441c7aa the bus pulled in.a8e73503d53d67d1

As the e224eaf986 bus stopped e111e6746a and the 6ac9ab0622 doors opened, cdac3b169d Yul watched dde7f671f4 as he a327da6810 and two 0d7b93f9d7 other students cd0a897278 boarded. She stepped on last, 79a9a9604c glancing around as she 2f9d5f2028 walked in. The seats 5b1725f4fe in the e053e2e4f6 front for 43c2eec094 the elderly 571323e3cd were empty, 3fc69fb9e0 but she 200ca09957 couldn’t sit 55078f0d68 there, and f99c634f05 the seats 80bc5b9c3e in the 09aa564608 back were 619dfb6f8d already taken d9d8f126d6 by the c6505f451b students who’d a4b6ec7ac4 boarded earlier. The only fb7f33e8a1 available seat 3c0bb9d5cb was the 6d3374c9d6 one in eaf5aed6e0 the second-to-last e0c231ff60 row, where 86fd985411 Yoonjo was f3b8bad85b already sitting f539d75d4a by the 897ba10453 window.b661d8a97ccf7434

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Normally, she would’ve d7076feab0 stood until a 7799d41d9e seat became available, a4b2d5f18e and she’d started 85f0960cc0 out planning to f78f00200a do just that. But the combination 876a13101b of her exhaustion 57def40b63 and the bus’s 06a0d8a3f7 swaying nausea finally 5bab52580b wore her down, 309cad848b and she found 61a003f87b herself glancing toward b725238f90 the empty seat f533750b85 beside Yoonjo, deep 4331f69179 in thought.e0e0005283a9b8e2

Should I ac3f31d6bb sit there? Or not? Should I?2fd4581bf632a564

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

After mulling it a634f5056e over, she let 9addf4a718 out a small 166a45e4f4 laugh. Suddenly, she felt a 9bc190ba32 little ridiculous. Why am f7cf3260b7 I hesitating? It’s not like that’s 89d337c0f7 his reserved seat or 8926b9b1d5 that I owe him 2a90ea7b54 anything.e076c582ace3a76b

Her decision 7ffd9badc7 made, she 10f83863bc took off 47e624895e her bag f5fba356df and walked d52fb906c0 over to e63bf314dc sit down. Yoonjo didn’t open 45318bf67c his eyes, even 19011889ff though he must 6e78c72472 have sensed her 64047f8a61 presence. This time, his obliviousness beb87c973e actually made her feel b18183647a relieved.ad082c96a7c2b962

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘If you could just 184993438d stay asleep until I 1b2da7da53 get off, Kang Yoonjo…’ed7219f2fe919618

Oddly aware of his d25d5a32ae presence, she muttered to fd1a908035 herself.22678e4a0e690315

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The bus began 22c1550f6f its route, winding 958b011380 through the streets. Yul had exactly thirteen e3868db73e stops before she’d need 1a1803386e to get off, heading 8c2fc64f7e not home but to 2c300a570d the convenience store where b49b5c435b she worked part-time.5d727872398396f1

The light of an c5d8dd3769 afternoon that held both 60b77c7f28 summer and autumn shone b3aa5f4d46 in through the windows. It was a 6b6a77907c mellow, hazy light 7c00611239 that felt almost b0088b8f73 like a lullaby af4c5781fe for Yoonjo, seated 1d9ba3188b by the window.e0100eaec9fedb05

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

But within d8ffa26d05 five minutes, 407581d4ee the sun’s 51c0482c1c gentle warmth 903a94422d became uncomfortably db745f0c17 bright. Depending on 59c035c831 the bus’s 90e42cd87a angle, the 9da9403a16 light sometimes f1c407b49b shone on cf7d042bcf her side fd3641c907 of the 846f72d456 seat, but bcc3cf2950 most of 99dda8ccfe it slanted c74bb2e7ff directly onto 60f6803d61 Yoonjo’s face.f9ffb1fa21d42311

For a bd2b66d1c3 while, he b803f1a070 seemed indifferent, d345ad09dd but as a547f43134 the glare dbe6a023c5 became more a7916bda0a bothersome, he c1e731894c turned his 2bb9c0ab79 head toward 785ee4b4be her to 5efe378fd8 avoid it. With him leaning fd523ed9fb closer, Yul couldn’t ee84af07ac help but glance cb71617ada at him in 3fb7ba66a7 response.43ab9eacb68057f4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley