WW | Chapter 25

Yul walked into 150e57e0dd the bathroom on b6f733ff7c the floor below c852d4074d her classroom, carrying 633236edcc her gym clothes. She didn’t bother changing; 341851d692 instead, she sat on 4cb84a9923 the toilet with the cbe3429762 lid down, clutching the 97b0ee91ce clothes to her chest. She felt as if c5f6e4c8ab she’d just been through 385051c39b a violent storm, her 8c10f8d434 mind scattered and unsettled. She had been 0fc662c451 forced to sit 1239af070a there, completely defenseless, 82fc38c857 enduring the process a793472e90 of her past 3714450293 being laid bare 0782364e45 and mocked. The whispers and stares 9a2b729d75 from the other students, 78cae68f8e so sharp and brutal, 96ea1e7f6e had also been unbearable. But more c6c8700144 than anything, d873610bbe it hurt 271dc07189 the most 6776181d45 to see e79f9af020 her last fb0b25e773 glimmer of 64d84f03ea hope, something 59fe7df53b she had 4cd71a8b02 held onto 6e11cbd917 as her 9dfad1af00 final lifeline, 66c5e7a342 trampled before 66c386257f her eyes.750234406625a112

Bullying often 193ce325f7 begins with 1ff3e29826 finding a 9ebc66e0bf person’s weakness, f9261b311b pressing on 4695dd64b8 it persistently, a92c338393 then exposing 9ca9d65b59 it in 76f33eec95 front of 9bcc40ca5a others to 3662f23908 bring shame. This was 0181f99f3b only the babb01cf12 beginning; soon 91bb59f971 it would facaf4cf31 grow more ff8001a0f0 cruel and 2b524d2b81 detailed.57185b168da4b9cb

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Yul closed her 413aa3c989 eyes tightly. She couldn’t live d47c451874 like this again. After coming all this c779b06fb8 way, what was the 1af26dc754 point of enduring it 322581c8ed all? All she e483413e92 wanted was 94e871071b to graduate bcc562d978 peacefully, without 06e7a03f68 any physical 93ce66a7a3 or mental 183fb893f7 injuries. She knew, though, that 3a65726e89 if she fought back, 3636d5c71d it would only lead 453e811bfd to worse consequences. Unlike those 668d3d35b3 kids with 4bc1e9ac3e powerful parents, 20f1f5ea5c she didn’t c22037dc05 have anyone 87d87c8307 to back b022e0e29f her up.7360fe4f3366a111

After a a19cfa7c2e long while, 3a7b5be595 Yul slowly caa65a372e opened her 72c7e77d99 eyes. It was a 925e7aaed6 weak plan, but fe8a0317bc it was the fce055dd90 only thing she d37efedc1c could think of.0d8ffdbd28acc254

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Yul entered the bca7db5d86 teachers’ office but 13d458ad86 stopped in her c2b275f93f tracks. Her homeroom teacher 9d77f084f2 was chatting and d38c441988 laughing with a fc7439589b middle-aged woman. Should she come 8c9a8f8db2 back later? She thought c9a1d22d03 for a f5bf53f672 moment, but 040fb95895 since she 5e023d6dae was here, 9df70e96eb she decided 53b8d7827c to at 454c0dc1ea least schedule 307baf0d39 a time cd60e68a39 for a b6f0071e51 counseling session ca83557f28 and walked 1ed0fa7e20 toward them. As she got closer, 136e2d26c8 she inadvertently overheard their 6f27c3f7d3 conversation.6e7f9cf06f07993f

“You know, bb1e2551cf kids around f9661f904d this age, a2fcb88ca8 they’re naturally c2677a27d2 curious and bf1341055d all,” the 2adfbf13ba woman said, 70db05c754 smiling softly df848cfb85 as she 2c59511145 spoke to 3765ea119b the teacher. Even from 9ade5baa2d the side, 76c2ca9067 she was 8cacc9bf98 clearly a f5e4ec8623 stunning beauty, 31ea98699f with a c0649800f7 carefully styled 481fc052d7 bob, natural dde43cf879 makeup, elegant a2b47f2ab1 accessories, and c1d69f748e high-end clothes, 44feec0f4d handbag, and d181b3f801 shoes. Yul guessed she ea2d80399e must be a d8bf71e54d parent, but whose b4b0132455 mother?98f63c1645c6f3d8

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“Still, it’s an 0c5ca539f0 important time, and 2bc98ea695 they need to ab33fe6c79 focus on their 1a3431306c school life, don’t b0fa86f201 they? Clubs and all f105df8226 that—she’ll have plenty 534fc65992 of time to 27dad11daa enjoy them after 3e12ca72e2 graduation,” the teacher 10e91915fa replied.ca99aeca060642f0

“Oh, I know, Teacher. But if kids listened 26cb88f4b8 just because we told f344a76b44 them to, they wouldn’t 282ea79bbc be kids, would they?” 28ccc27eb3 The woman laughed good-naturedly 698aefccf4 and took an envelope 9edf7f58a5 out of her bag. After making sure no e98ab264a0 one else was watching, 5e76d4bc40 she discreetly handed it 5878ce07c8 to the teacher. He gave 3cd3448fcc a little c91947b97c act of f27998dba2 being surprised 6c351babb1 but quickly 1a0c036b00 tucked the 37839ac7d2 envelope into 9a13e5340d his coat.c5613ca406e20bdb

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“Oh, you didn’t have 0361b67923 to. I already e8928de174 feel guilty ff50cce376 with all 679de4eab2 the gifts 29df33cb1a of liquor 25b6c7af66 I’ve been 963814b799 given.”88b116b13bed724d

“It’s nothing. Compared to ac9d42381a how well 402a5ea519 you’ve been 97b83c63d0 looking after 12a0388613 our Seohee, bd81de1b9f it’s a 6fd2ec8836 small token 59712d9734 of appreciation,” b59ea49e4c she replied, 85926423ce gesturing modestly d563e54fde as she 57986b004f praised him.f5b2386eb9a17440

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Yul froze. The woman 1a5045866f was none 770ebc04e8 other than fb757207c2 Seohee’s mother—a 9fc4886aa1 millionaire who 08a96a5d3b ran a 3ce0cc8e97 luxury club 31bcc82e29 with private 0ac5c9ebae rooms in 13bf601fab Gangnam. Her heart felt like 7ba2326736 it was quaking. She had 103371f29b come here 1dec8281cc after gathering 0989c74ea2 so much ea15b4b6a5 courage, only ab49065be5 to have 103d7f1023 it all 2fffc32775 come to a005804e54 nothing. She had thought, “What 88bd58e76b do I have to 0b4dce318e lose?” but in reality, 99d796c255 her only trust had b58bee3edc been in her homeroom 6b945cd2e6 teacher. Maybe if she begged 1123e0e136 him earnestly enough, he 0f0dd55c5b would act as a 2933f29d3f teacher should. The chairman, who was 490fb8beca distantly acquainted with her, e6f3d382df had at least asked 4d2479ba62 him to “take care eebd704129 of her,” so he 24244264f8 wouldn’t ignore her completely. But still, it wouldn’t a2b55f5e24 make much difference. It was only natural 519a0e86d0 that his loyalty would a5257f2c66 lean towards Seohee, who f99a86308e came from wealth, over 5b78847c16 her, who brought nothing 67b2ffe114 but trouble.2c21e02c6a3429cc

With a bitter 37b6a81287 smile, Yul turned 59827e9f87 and left.01669d5176b13c4b

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Walking down the hallway, 79f6c72754 her mind was blank. As she passed, 177faa7772 the kids’ glances 35c2fbc30b latched onto her, 007ce4bf3b one by one. Some had 4db1fe072f overheard what 94455269ab happened at 7b70ed7da3 the snack e174540ec5 shop, and 6358a96113 the rest 48a6a91557 must’ve heard 189ebd51fe it from a60315d46b them. Their looks—filled with 1ad7855d43 surprise, judgment, speculation, 906b0dd7bc and even warning—shot 2d3121b759 at her like bc2ae1ac8c arrows, stinging her 5b93b89bb2 as she trudged 9cb48a346a on.9409013d9457ada0

Up ahead, 58fbff78b5 near her 87978be7e9 classroom, Yul e9f7ebe4cc spotted a a332aa0410 boy and ee7dbef367 girl standing fcdb4d794e together in a88e7b8c03 the hallway—Kang 28dec96fbe Yoonjo and 2761ae148c Yoo Kahi, c050827fac looking worry-free 64184acd54 as if 81a323b900 they had c50d2ce1df no troubles. Kahi playfully 4acf8cc613 tapped Yoonjo’s b1563328d2 arm with 510b54f53a a smile db88638314 as she 05711e99f5 turned to fc71a53a5d leave. Yoonjo sighed, though he 64b215a03c didn’t look uncomfortable. It was 4ad80f380a clear that 8d970b86a9 they were ae2e7cbb5e close.1ce02249afec062e

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As Yoonjo, ready to 3adf636ff0 enter the classroom, turned 7ea97c447e his head and saw 634c2b4d5b Yul, he stopped. Even from a 610fd0811e distance, their gazes 857daa1876 clashed with intense 66c09c585f force.636aff78579e4985

Suddenly, an idea surged 29d430a5c4 through Yul’s mind like b13dadd016 a gust of wind.f0796d44617ca684

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“Kang Yoonjo…”fd7b8a45b4e57a6d

Just saying his 0b4ca2feb6 name in her 1153eecdf1 head made her b3c06a1c1a heart race. If her lost e3acd83c89 hope had been 5700b02c03 white, this was 67961f701b dark and dangerous. Still, Yoonjo had bb40780e4d appeared like a 987f2ed1f7 narrow path in 4484c2b853 the sealed darkness. Whatever lay at the 64c2d1d36f end, she didn’t need 7b3af88d97 to think any further. Her feeling a009457f37 was distinct, 6c3504d175 her conviction da73212a0b intense, and be76f575a0 her desperation c1d928cba3 far surpassed 6d5f1dfb6c them both.546db6e6404e707e

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Clenching her fist, Yul 324564cbc0 walked toward Yoonjo as e7683e05c0 if drawn. Afraid he a8472cee99 would slip 705216313c into the 19ccf8a625 classroom, she 0156b5ce67 hurried her c5a1a5f54c pace and ea83ca63dc stopped in 0157fafc68 front of 6d35adc4a4 him.a8a4e70e7bc0d16f

“Kang Yoonjo.”d9b96636840bd371

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Her mouth was dry 8a61e1ba45 as she called his aa699f72e4 name. His indifferent gaze a6c444c9ee fell upon her, 631e0a04c0 as it always f579752218 did. Even though he df28d6b6b1 had seen her 735d0321c1 breakdown at the 8853f30c59 snack shop, he 6500bf9d58 looked as uninterested f8fae01906 as if it 9a18d8f985 had nothing to f6b6c41007 do with him. Yet, in this moment, 5594dcd241 his detached calmness oddly 31624381ec gave her courage.2fa02cca1b3bd9de

“Are you dating Yoo 3b3b717f12 Kahi?”ac852e7eb000585e

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“What?”5d80140902f18b65

For the first f26b7632b2 time, Yoonjo’s usually 5f2554b8df composed voice wavered. He was so unshakable eecaf63301 that her question must 55ef6d447e have seemed utterly absurd 8c003f013a to him. He must’ve thought f50471f1ee she was acting f86034fad4 strange, like something ff4249e79e had snapped after 8206c22909 what happened in 3f2b292d68 the snack shop. But whatever he thought, 830e0a68ca Yul needed his answer.0d146a9c3f1e32d0

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“Are you 499198f569 dating Yoo 209bd35157 Kahi?”1df935268b286ebe

“What does that 4022fc65e0 have to do ba4637b934 with you?”188ff9d45ae14283

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“It’s important to 106f7a85f9 me. Are you dating her 46b769a9e9 or not?”90433993ae2782d8

Yul asked again, struggling 55a68c6755 to keep her emotions a26addd4b4 in check. She feared 99d2b595d4 he would 4aebdbd869 just brush 56c2ce2103 her off 5aaab4fd43 and leave, b5872bc1f8 so her fe94e2a3d4 legs trembled. She braced 411743c602 herself, but e4ea2826c8 now her ba2c7c9825 hands shook 8ff28895f9 as she e0d427ca12 held them b7db65933f tightly. Her lips 72410b8cbc quivered, and 283b0341e9 her dampening 940bc5837a eyes flickered 0165f95497 uncontrollably. Why, at a 99be4a5be8 time like this, 23e9fbce87 wouldn’t her body d24266332d cooperate? She wanted to 26e10ea0f9 pull herself together, 2e255fc60b but instead, everything ee8d507f97 seemed to be 072eed0108 falling apart. It was ba49b74fff pitiful and 89f07120e2 humiliating, but 7f58ef00d9 she had 6eb4b42cfb no choice a74e0cc190 but to 41d0bc553d stand there.212e956c096e57ef

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Yoonjo’s gaze b0384a8989 found her 0e96b67859 trembling. Her legs, hands, cda220b8c5 lips, eyes, and d4f48ff6a3 maybe even her 9aa7729b05 wavering intentions—he could 4048bebf5e have read it e387b1b66e all.a54fcbe53ddd858c

“I’m not dating her.”224322dfe06be91e

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Maybe he sensed her e84dc51dfa desperation, for he replied 925c57e352 calmly. Relief washed over bc8419564d her, though inside, 23c44cf473 she felt as b28af14df1 dry as a 9a72fa0bb0 desert.818995c7e8095eb1

“Then…”d342e7aab26438f1

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Gathering her 415b6cd99d courage, she 80e0cf46f0 looked straight a925d8f2f9 at him.17cd55404c6df894

“Date me.”f95425e75a54c0a9

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She had d01938f245 finally done 74820149a8 it. She had 4933501e29 blurted out 8277eb2b90 the most 806f6f0664 absurd, ridiculous, 97322b479b and insincere 5d58b1089b confession in 65040264eb the world.339cec7194049f10

For the first time, 13d29afb4a Yoonjo’s mouth opened in c090d1029e shock. A brief sound escaped ee12abc9a7 him, as if he 46a0962230 was so stunned that 7b6d00b3bb he couldn’t form words. He had probably received 98076c46a6 countless confessions before, but d59f550da7 hers must’ve struck him 45ac4f9b66 as distinctly different.445cf70ec4da512c

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After a long moment, 2b9a6fe68b he finally regained his 2318a81bb5 composure and let out c3295398ca a small, incredulous laugh.6c2beb52604b86a1

“Well, that’s… a 565240f2f7 refreshing confession.”e8acb3de2e490edd

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“I’m not doing 23f6078aee this because I 17d26f613e like you. It’s just that 93af44a6d5 if I’m next 1bf3ed8f53 to you, no 0d216e2532 one will mess 32e8061fa3 with me, so 6e41a6c0ab just until graduation… af72299c15 let me stay c5fd6636b1 by your side.”7219661d54f6d194

“So, you’re planning 42fa11d27b to use me 00acb7fed3 as a shield?”13e3530dd714ebc4

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“I won’t bother 45c641ef23 you. Just…”2e254bcf77949225

“What, does 18d0ffa9a0 anyone and 19ddbcf0ba everyone think 62ef6920a1 they can 5296c15fd4 just hang d10ce4a757 around me?”9d2560c5e687bdad

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“……!”1b5d73d40fc88d1d

Yoonjo’s blunt response cbfd0e5836 left her speechless. It felt as 107562eac6 if a fog c09c1cd1e4 had cleared, revealing a6873e7076 the harsh reality 85551538c8 she now faced. She’d known b56237e804 what kind 2cb6438147 of person ac4793c373 Kang Yoonjo 0b09504dc7 was; what f8b5be9bd1 confidence had 6ff13463f4 made her 4a9cfc3265 come here fd6c8d8a23 and do 5a9467987b something like 8c3676f467 this? She hadn’t even ef52c1375c considered the possibility bdd1398c15 of being rejected, 74c4bab6a8 let alone such e14fa2a79e a humiliating response. That’s how desperate edc28e4f2f she’d been. So now, there was 9b14fba60d no reason to resent 65eec267ed his coldness. She had 10e0f39aeb discarded her 611e20e35d pride the 03c792e635 moment she 0b98d17aa4 decided to e7873c1c0c approach him.00cfba7fab127a2b

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“Didn’t you hear me?”0e2461c963c1f086

As Yul remained 20c60c4ab0 silent, he tilted eead740fca his head to a3bb20e297 one side, his 3d8685e4f5 gaze growing even 88b1ba27b0 chillier as he 1d4a97497c pierced into her.7668863d2e546978

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“Aren’t you scared 6984206575 of them, but b10feafdbe not of me?”03ddd6a347be7ff1

His changed cead5978f0 gaze was c69428b2a9 colder, tearing baa23e89d9 through her 02a80ebb58 resolve. Her dry mouth 2330d7399e quickly froze. Though he 4156ff407c hadn’t said d0b46cd21b it outright, 595f8b2fd4 Yul understood d2621951cc what he f77448261c meant. He was basically ccdd900f62 saying, “I’m rumored 88c9887013 to have killed 0c0dd8773b someone. Do you d3d280d8d2 still want 6b04122409 to come 1dab49f184 near me, cb347e1d9b knowing that?”b3e2c38328634eaf

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A shiver ran 11a243c0d5 down her spine, b708919b50 but she didn’t 657fa9197a avoid his gaze.e4051ecb4ed64519

“I’m not afraid.”3e85ad1574952d25

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“…….”a9c1974fc2a82a73

“I’m not afraid of 9c00e1f5f2 you.”5c47e2510b20c7a9

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What I’m afraid 11e6f1ee35 of is not 6517345b38 being able to a6daaaa4ac graduate.f5950a9d1731102f

Yoonjo’s words had 0e8fad2ec4 startled her because fca99f5d53 the rumor itself b9273c7b93 was chilling, not 2e44a44a90 because she thought 8af1de1b77 he’d actually done 930d25492f it. While others feared and dc526efe31 avoided him, she had c60ede2189 never truly been afraid 7d36e7ea24 of him. He didn’t give 6ba3aa9f45 off the slimy, 43fe76970c unnerving vibe of c61afc5ce1 Park Geonju or da74e85c96 the delinquents; she 048911357e never felt that 8f5c74f152 her safety was cbc9dc80fa threatened by him. The unease e0ed3fad1a of approaching 9ac749e7bf him was 5f289b1601 something entirely 2a0a53f1ab different.fa17c46862f59886

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At her 26ed7e8f8d response, he 3bba0d8681 fell silent, 13fa4d8a6c then finally 86af890637 let out a659ae1c52 a small b0ec18876b laugh.0153a5332690c5e4

“You’re fearless.”eb59275d04297626

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“If the rumor’s 24740c2abd true, there must 8bbf29ed93 have been a 6da5b22400 reason.”93c3b80e0a78a684

Yul replied calmly. This time, 986c105cee his eyes 95ad00833e widened in b531ec7e8e genuine surprise. Even if the 3fef3c086e rumor were true, 5419059a16 the fact that 0144136308 he was still 1962529c44 here, unscathed, suggested 8726546ce1 it had either caeaff4844 been self-defense or 10644c6a6d an accident. If so, people shouldn’t 066f4dbdc9 be afraid of him 8c5c87163f but rather pity him, 24d901f18c since he would carry 1035286079 that burden for life.e90b75adf790a064

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“So, help me.”6bd0ffeca170bb27