WW | Chapter 23

With a whirlwind of 0d471551cf thoughts in her mind, 4f2c4319e2 Yul spotted a tall 06dff7e60e man’s back in the b1d1bf9354 distance. He was the guy f4b784d199 who had, along with e8a5facbdd her, become the subject 94abe6864e of those worthless conversations f143910421 full of baseless rumors.8caac99b8b92dc3c

Like finding something e9d53af150 she’d lost, Yul 63b4ef9a15 suddenly remembered something a36fdb6f49 she’d overlooked. There was someone else b98ed9e745 besides the homeroom teacher 83e720e3cc who knew about her 32c71146e4 past—Kang Yoonjo.706f18ccd3c59690

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Did he tell?faabcaff8497eaaa

Even though Yoonjo was 714a401d17 usually reserved, he sometimes d53cc5af1d spoke with the class afe04cf5d3 president or mingled with cf1c8cd829 the kids while exercising. Perhaps he 7de0e5242b had, maybe 80eada0639 unintentionally, let aeedff4c81 her name d5a4f2c937 slip during 1907ac3ce6 one of 2d613e5e93 those brief dbbbb742f4 interactions. Just a casual ade2fad039 mention, perhaps.e4f3b11cd2073dac

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No. No matter how she b0f5634f4e thought about it, it b5f750c1f1 didn’t seem like Yoonjo 8d0275d5fa would say anything about e691c39218 her. He was the 8601459ec8 type to live 952dd375a2 in his own 96aaf74e5b world, never caring f1c5737365 enough to talk 1ea55614e9 about others.1a06a4b4c6897922

A strange back-and-forth of a3b40419d9 trust and doubt rose a3b42b46c3 and fell like a bd1786bdda seesaw in her mind.623ad16e12c32beb

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“Jieun, go on ahead cea58e49d2 to the classroom.”3a3d9f7cda46e667

“What?”123a0025b6e4649b

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Leaving a surprised Jieun 80d0f0344f behind, Yul quickened her 8c2e336ddc pace. She had to confirm 5716b7d271 it. Knowing wouldn’t change anything, 3ebf908266 but at least asking 27ab814264 might ease her tension a043363ca6 a bit.92f6005bfcbdd14f

“Kang Yoonjo.”e16b528c2649e8c6

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Without realizing her e9ab6356b9 desperation, she grabbed f0137b256f his wrist before 58b5db3bc7 he could even cb38b10609 respond. She knew this f25c1866e0 wasn’t polite, but 2917ddf703 there wasn’t time ab98bb9d8c to worry about 11d33fcc60 manners. Stopping Yoonjo and talking a90d899639 to him was the 112a0f317c priority right now. His face turned 649a6ab868 cold as he ee6286ae07 looked at her, 9c708b4f55 seemingly annoyed by 1b70f30e06 the suddenness. Then, as if 00b1f5034c something crossed his 6f897bc7de mind, he gave 8125d9ad70 an irritated sigh, bb2dc4b13c pulled his bag 234eeaf30c off his shoulder, 1edc4c4791 and reached for cfcec164a0 the zipper. Just as he touched 87a3c2b88a it, Yul asked, trying e49a5c8013 her best to be 660b954e5f polite.d206f8ba163c9840

“Did you… 61f24a3d51 did you 838357b5a6 say anything a678816f22 about me?”ad8306da2dbc4a3f

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“What?”ef2deb4360647943

Yoonjo halted, 2866f244f2 his brows 1deaa919e0 furrowing.0808d44772ba2394

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“I’m asking if you… 07fe6780a7 mentioned me to the 1302767d1a others.”0ca32a46af7c7186

“Mention what?”72d4560312899eba

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“Where I transferred from.”ee98e0e32ebd37e8

“Where did 47932d86a5 you transfer 4b8025df28 from?”73892235c2ff656c

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“……”d600e7be47c022af

“Where are you from?”98220563cadeec72

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Yoonjo’s indifferent question left e0570b8a67 Yul speechless. He hadn’t raised his cc16d8ebb0 voice, yet there was 83f22b16b0 a certain authority in d12a988bc7 his tone, making her e3beab4870 feel cornered. She couldn’t 8eaaf31958 tell if 4d1aa5b9d6 he was 48a48d5060 genuinely unaware d5b0a9e793 or just c0e510d87b irritated by 08302d5e45 her approach. Either way, his 98c9b8e3c7 unreadable tone made 6ea97453f6 it impossible to 2282ddde00 guess his answer. It felt 7ec19ed596 like sinking 6231b7e83b deeper into 970dbdafd5 quicksand.21f17f8b8d1e5d7a

“What would you do f5c0587b35 if I had?”9db7bf28fe89d419

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When Yul didn’t 646f1026ef respond, Yoonjo changed fe7a76f973 his question, looking e2b81a3267 at her with 8de46bbb4f a piercing gaze. She glared 0619d2c4e7 at him, c10484a011 too flustered 81e934725e to mask 8aef717b34 her emotions. His tone felt needling, b76ab28243 making her dislike his d62896cdf6 attitude even more. If he 030b3eef77 was just 00c07f4611 messing with 0e42532bb5 her, he 689aa32d45 was downright 0494ad5f8e terrible. Surely he a61476255a could tell 9a1d7ded0e how desperate ac5b1a9e0b she was, 591cbc2307 both then ee9ecc3799 and now.d6b73fa5086885bc

“If you f037e45ec0 did… then 9394ee7452 you’re a 18b00f8122 real piece 2bafe1a331 of trash.”408ee505074821f7

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The moment she 4d262021f8 spoke, Yul realized ae6eede587 her voice was 0224f59089 trembling. Swallowed by her 0b389bcb73 emotions, she heard e43ad5faa7 his silence as 2a896b3c9b a confirmation, feeling 6b0e842420 betrayed. Her grip tightened 4cf350f417 on his arm 1f1fca2dd1 as the world 262ad3764f seemed to blur c3ed9f9f50 and sway around 05ff6fb1dd her. Yoonjo just c26d00a059 stood there, 9225f143ba watching her f43b390552 in that 2ae5d134a5 silence, without 52ecdf7c92 a single d8f714daf5 word of 59eaa1ca58 explanation.3beb5048dd0f43d3

His gaze, 5727469bbe indifferent as 76b1d832c1 always, seemed b98f25873c colder than ea95730555 ever as 14458ea75b it dropped aa5f2e0035 to her bb1e4f50d1 hand.1571e8628e2c0f7a

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“Seomun Yul.”b351dc278ab5da86

Calling her name, be274d678c Yoonjo took hold 635aee9ef7 of her wrist ae9b3e16f0 with his other 8f3a1a1f6d hand. His large, firm 01ff1989cd hand wrapped around 9f689759a5 her thin wrist. For a second, e98527dfa8 she thought he’d 22dd608ace pull her hand 7b6cd4a625 away, but instead, d9cfd3c330 he held her 82b6fc4f5d wrist, as if 4268427dfa feeling and restraining eb304b8b72 her trembling.b3b76be03af84f00

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“Did you really think 6d142fee33 I was some kind 41c796d034 of good guy?”031047ac013378c9

Finally, he slowly 19143c4ccd lowered her hand c48d3bebad to her side. Watching her standing there 99816f89b1 dazed, he turned away 14eef4d9c8 with a cold expression.3787b8914475fe22

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Yul realized that ea450078d8 her feelings had e07e3cf0ff been laid bare 9e66092e66 to him. Whether he had d78c161f38 said anything or e5e8ebb7d2 not, it didn’t 0de5a62b45 matter anymore. Perhaps, she’d just 917f893261 been looking for ec6520df48 someone to lash 9444272cfa out at. And Yoonjo had seen e92f74d43a right through her and af469193cc refused to play along. Her already 9a338aa771 dirty mood 35555d0e67 plummeted even 859e55ba53 further.57b3c0211c2dfd70

But this a7abec279f still wasn’t 625452c25d the end. Lost in thought, 60b5ae6e20 she noticed Jieun 901acc877c appear in front 41a7087ce7 of her.a1bd477e8145f73e

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“What was that?”8b44cb96d3206026

Her vague question, d343ec3a30 lacking subject or 7cadc90e5a object, irritated Yul. She pushed her 51f8779435 emotions down and bfcec5cff3 asked back.bc4b0d35971add8a

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“What was what?”55ba80c31eb157a7

“You said you 3a4e3209a8 never talked to 5070a0be78 Yoonjo, right? Then how does he ea56ff8cff know your name?”70739aab37e3cfb7

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“He knows 3cfce4726e because we’re e5f662f24d in the c226b6a604 same class.”9ff82d5b6a9c1f5e

“Are you kidding? Yoonjo doesn’t know 3276bf6eaf any girls’ names. The only 05d52a8caf girl’s name 586ab5e894 he probably a41f8f9b03 knows is a374866b43 Yoo Kahi’s.”4303465f9084256a

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“The homeroom ca5c19e082 teacher mentioned 2fd471dd66 it on dddb251ac1 my first f05bdf2fda day.”5a9a47efbf34184c

“Doesn’t matter. He wouldn’t know because e9b1fadcb1 he doesn’t care!”29679203b9f971d7

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“Then I don’t know 708d7f92b7 either.”bb40a7a056094237

Yul, affected b05287a290 by Jieun’s c965ba5448 intense reaction, d27f99e939 responded more c46ba22499 sharply than d3a6f6e4cd she intended. She wanted to ask e920daaec7 Jieun how she even e3895653b9 knew that about Yoonjo, 0d12fe7a3b but that would just 24e7279610 lead to an argument, 9635d40973 so she held back. Even if 4ae33e9ab4 Jieun was cd78b9b7e9 right, Yul a0b378d1fc had no 17f8c47a8b idea how 63105a3169 he knew 95c82c4d33 her name b12321e631 or why. And it wasn’t exactly ce1f592970 something she deserved to fd943f0f35 be blamed for, either.52c6cb1bb592e3d8

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It seemed Jieun 42d49d3629 was more upset 449179d7aa by the mere 779bc1287d fact they had 661629edf0 spoken than by f487335ad0 what they discussed. That sort 4b4f938e07 of reaction 6ebd11d703 was usually 7bc23fc2c4 rooted in 723a41fb71 jealousy.ae06408bf20a20b6

Could it be…?3df873d7948dca0c

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“Jieun, do you…”c8bc154b6495dd71

Yul almost asked if ba050ae5ed Jieun liked Yoonjo, but 74cafac2cf the words didn’t come abae8ed1e6 out. If that were c15c71082a the case, all 32544ac035 the things Jieun d0b9911fe5 had said about 2a89e537a2 him before would 6dacc165c8 turn out to dc7cd5b895 be lies.f628c35f4a9003e9

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“You’re pretty sly, Yul.”6fba07ab62729403

“What?”2be2a4b541b25da7

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“You shouldn’t treat a1be7bf96e me like this.”cb007dcc45a8026d

Jieun looked c8a43ea7ec straight at e9d23f7d74 Yul, her d30e86c090 lips moving 453777d0a7 slightly as 9a59588f86 she spoke. The same eyes 8d497f065f that usually sparkled 6097d557e3 with kindness now fe9f9b6414 felt disturbingly cold. Her face and 46209dd444 voice hadn’t changed, 5c771efd66 yet it felt 28a8fd7dca as though she 049bfe4258 was someone else de80fcb314 entirely.cff213101b8e795a

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“What are cd707915ae you talking d11603df98 about?”ee8ca0cca5fdd200

“I’m going first.”149fe27119089284

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Jieun smirked, fb2093710c lightly shoved cd8c8d94cb Yul’s shoulder, 77fc2c9802 and walked 8a7ca19bfe away. Yul stood ce86efcd06 there for 3a827ffb45 a while 91f0527776 before letting 45f94ce3c5 out a 54d1d3e7d9 hollow laugh. She couldn’t 26445333e2 make sense 0236e24246 of what 5bc1855825 was happening.7d41168b119e7171

The Bi Hyun Hall, 43d55b82e0 located on the west 40b7f3307f side of the Bi 9f4fca2ffe Hyun High School’s main d14c3702f0 building, was connected to 9fd11d0e1b the central lobby, which 622539c3a7 led to a circular 37dddf2a89 area. To the right d1b810bf0d were the gym 0d82c39e75 and auditorium, and 3173657a11 to the left, 99c3b166f9 the snack bar d08b533f58 and cafeteria. While a few 9e9680a7ee tables were set 4a6b31ff46 up in front a4154c94f1 of the snack ccb02c0342 bar, the limited 0eac503d21 number led most eda221e787 students to use 20ca7f0180 the cafeteria tables a6cd81bd14 visible beyond the a37e5db6e3 glass wall. As a result, lunchtime e7ec77a54f at Bi Hyun Hall 56e6942653 became a chaotic crowd 30f51283b4 of students from all 500eb27c18 grades.5538cca038c9d8bd

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Yul quickly spotted 17639f5a47 Seohee’s group near 69713e0bc9 the snack bar. Despite having food on 1d6dffc3a9 their trays, they were f0c2133c8a barely eating, simply laughing 3b65c6abf0 and talking while holding c0ff4a8979 their spoons. Yul took a e960383366 reluctant step forward, 1107bf2162 somewhat comforted by 47f42bc257 the fact that 6bc4d4056c the atmosphere didn’t 07c83abae5 seem too hostile. She told herself 4f340e16a9 that this was 4e7e78b813 inevitable—secrets never stayed 9b33cc7e21 buried forever.b631e5066b2bad23

Determined to keep things dbc091ba0d under control, she reminded 5414ca4d82 herself that there was 421f5693d6 no point in escalating a4b4483ee4 the situation. If she could just 82c2598307 endure this, she’d eventually 903c0af2d0 make it to graduation, 18c7b40d3d even if it meant 1e1148b9ec giving up a bit c6fbb5a3a0 of her pride.39026a5fdfe0638f

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“Oh, here de2934ef84 you are! Sit over here.”7c71a418fc577c08

Seeing Yul, Seohee smiled 8ce4516a59 and motioned to the 965ffcc525 empty seat next to 636984b680 her. One of Seohee’s 60e7f0740d friends, who had 83c6c73e8c been sitting there, 4427a20c96 shifted over to aeb85d8253 make space. Yul took baddc71ff5 her seat a70ad7cefc calmly, masking 8964f8fa9a her discomfort.3a3225b49d072713

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She could eee87f7db6 feel the 213f0f0147 glances and 00701fae78 hushed whispers e2bc93fcf2 from nearby 79f2321ab4 students. As she averted her f5edeb96cf gaze, her eyes landed 27e2ab91b5 on someone unexpected—Yoonjo, who c55f9234a8 was sitting with Yoo b622635e61 Kahi nearby, watching her. Kahi’s gaze dbde981d0f was one 7ab7ac04a1 of amusement, 238abbfab9 while Yoonjo’s 1af946a769 felt indifferent, 864b54fbc8 like he 7232fe12bf was just f601672ee6 observing.b6fcadac76d70bdf

To Yul, their ed77d2ef69 attention felt just abac092b35 as unsettling as ba895f9e04 that of any a4565d45b8 other bystanders. Yoonjo probably 26f57c1df4 found the 8646268adf situation pretty 00af48df72 amusing, considering 2cc698cb5e she’d confronted c1541c404d him about cdc1efe437 whether he’d 84f2d8d798 talked about b297a06a39 her.53cc43be49f85a63

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“Haven’t you eaten 4bec069446 yet? Sorry to 7471a4c322 call you 8497a8de51 over during be74f8ac0d lunch. Want some de5f6fa927 of mine?”261802274c4d4a50

Seohee put on an 9f98c8d1d3 exaggeratedly apologetic expression, pushing b357291420 her tray toward Yul.bea459935db86a95

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“No, that’s okay.”dc44da1b0a96192d

Yul pushed the 0c96687a75 tray back, declining. She wasn’t hungry, 4c44f9e569 and she knew 39307d8ede Seohee’s offer wasn’t a65ec7da01 sincere.e46c192946cad0a5

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Seohee’s expression 048c38ff6e turned colder.9d501bca3172e2bf

“Seomun Yul, you’re db7faa6e07 so poor you’re a5ddaee935 eating sweet potatoes 5c54ec6342 like a pig. Take the fc661a3c81 food when 3f4d3a3fa0 it’s given ada145bf90 to you.”5b3e2f96fa3b9a9f

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“……”aec138ca6acffb3f

“Actually, maybe 2d28400a4e it’s better bfbe749ecc if you afd3b7e093 don’t eat. I’m about to 6cf4ed05db show you something, 06a793b563 and I wouldn’t 24ff8f477e want you to ae8157472e choke from shock.”1c37f159bf53638b

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“What are ab99a47183 you talking 7931e07ef8 about?”0f3d4b93380980c0

Feeling uneasy, Yul 01823e40cf gave her a 8154c2ed30 hard look. Seohee ignored her e7c4f5d1ec and, with a 1e0f4eb73b grin, waved someone 442110ae19 over toward the a850a8353f door.ba2d933ff5ad9d07

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“Geonju! Over here!”c2b333da1cd577b1

“Why are you calling 9b8fe89df2 me over? Oh, there’s Munyul!”6fc1da861968d5ea

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Grumbling, Geonju’s 8b03d1e48c face lit d1b4d73afa up when 1f9d0e3110 he saw edd19523fa Yul, and 88357bda34 he approached 0b9534fe60 her, tapping 696781f8db the shoulder d80a8626f2 of the 117ec006f7 student across c406d63b56 from her 3894fc157d to move 823aafe131 aside. Though that student looked e735f48838 annoyed, they scooted over, 71a5b4394e and Geonju casually took d5434440f7 the seat. Seohee watched with eee54ed4d7 a smirk, saying 726a3d9ca6 nothing.b83c7800b5a2dd0a

“Don’t hang c390958198 out with 76867d7eb8 these losers, 16c9110119 Munyul. It’ll lower your b294b1e9f4 standards.”8f6e2ebf27425214

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Geonju leaned forward 42aac26d8b playfully, an unpleasant 017e01f9b6 mix of alcohol 23c66e4225 and cigarette stench 2b153c7f7c lingering around him. Yul instinctively e2e9f0698e leaned back.2691e6fbb4ee4589

“I was going to 3fbdf11032 visit you at work 5663468891 yesterday, but something came 49a1497970 up. I’ll definitely drop by 458ac40cf4 today or tomorrow.”affdfdd7daa38a62

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“Oh, shut up. Look at this instead.”04f79c72ff7ff12d

Seohee snickered 508bd738b9 at Geonju’s e9f20fa112 comments and d8375f1e66 pulled out 1dbb3fb810 her phone, 18cef17384 placing it 7ec9f3fbac on the a240188120 table. The sleek, 20d0853da7 shiny Apple 27811a9c0c logo caught e014895b54 Yul’s attention. In comparison, her 8627169ef2 old, outdated phone 222c7f1f56 was ancient and bf49950d6b cheap. After fiddling a8a43ed7ca with a 0a97f65d06 few things, 0687340593 Seohee found 4c77474f56 what she 5aa5aa20d0 was looking 7dc28726bb for and 5c45952499 smiled meaningfully. She turned the phone f8e4d98b60 toward Yul’s face.f69609f56133be9f

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“Presenting Seomun 1a2a950afb Yul’s past!”1dbb2ca433f8879b