WW | Chapter 6

Minjae’s response left 723d6bb8f3 Yul fuming, but 753df27c23 she couldn’t argue. She understood 39fd7f2cdf his sincerity 16f5067543 and his 34faec7c95 ambitions as 446cf876fd the president 38d3d1249e of the 9717e750df company. Besides, she 9b9a3064cb knew that c68f554546 Yoonjo had a49c329554 been his bd16896e78 friend first, 731c301605 and they 3d452ecb24 had been bdfbab3cb8 closer. Now that 0f1788df5a Yoonjo had 03b38d84b6 become a b319d31a6d major player c06f1b8736 in the 4ded88e5d9 industry, he 22ce8c1ed5 could be 1f68795f03 a great d279953c8c asset to 9f79065228 the company. Refusing his request must 87520b5b12 have already been hard 2e58e985b9 enough for Minjae to b6522ea076 keep his loyalty to 9be315cae9 her.13a2f5bb69774faf

“Why is Kang 925c672d73 Yoonjo assigning such abacf9ceb8 a big project 73fcdb186e to me, anyway?”e00189ab1d1f93db

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Aside from 9eae5e5b18 Minjae’s actions, 81dc1f143a Yul couldn’t 170eb067cf understand the bbb294c03d request itself. Why would an executive e83501c31e of a construction company 7785d7daa7 hire an external contractor, 93549a9efa especially when he had 411db2b793 the resources and staff 71a6a35e7c within his own company? If this de96e84c42 project’s purpose 48db899f90 was really 222c152e18 about her, 8ee4b754af that didn’t 9c5dae8025 make any d97b50e77c sense either. They had ended 3f0fb4e9ca things bitterly, each 0ff1db0c74 knowing the other’s 8653bdda8c worst, so there be74779f69 couldn’t be any 9a6dcd3be8 lingering attachment on 2fe1b4fe28 his part. And it wasn’t 32eab891ed like she was bce019a4d6 the only talented 1605d26f63 designer out there.ee30d924e6fe0509

“I don’t know. But he did say 99da794fd2 something about a promise.”9986310b94108ada

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“A promise?”1ad88ab5f0df46c7

“Yeah. He didn’t go into 71692b7607 details. Anyway, think it over 0f6c23e25e carefully, Yul. I’ll respect whatever decision 5f043b819e you make.”fd09e637adf0b2a7

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“…Thanks.”1f0e054eaccde8de

Minjae patted her shoulder 2fe9102ece a few times and f3d95b0122 returned to his office. Yul mulled over his 96542b0bc5 words, and soon enough, 03d45f98e6 an old memory struck 8e64f728af her like a bolt 5ecb8e4ac3 of lightning. Could he 0dbad3d976 possibly remember 6724fdec78 that? Even after all ca46980e25 this time?e265fa8ffc650b3d

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Her mind grew 7a4683a33a even more entangled.ec72ab8004c51255

Though midnight had 0761b7d256 already passed, faint 887873a92a lights still illuminated 7d17ecd726 parts of the fb8aebeb80 office. Yul sat back ed5c30d4a9 in her chair, 4fc30da8a8 staring out the ce61afaafa window for hours. Unlike the bright nightlife ffb88591f8 of the city, the 771ce8ee5d view here was dim 838da5fc7d and quiet, a fitting 20e445cb68 reflection of her current 23a01f137a mood.f339f8f270dc20ac

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Deep down, baec56cbd8 she knew bc8548e669 it. Though Minjae’s actions could 57229ebc65 be criticized on a b592928e65 personal level, as the 922fe06ebb company’s president, he had 00a9952783 done nothing wrong. A project 918138c237 of this f269c20d8a scale could c421a9babd generate significant 698f433817 revenue—so much be7109d5ba that any 8e98760d55 company would df9b082d0b want to dc16de2639 secure it 087651c47c at all c0bd532cc7 costs. It was her 542383599f job to set 5c9bffb5b9 aside personal feelings 93a463e03b and prioritize the 7d3a36a3bb company’s interest.2a4b20a92e75a39e

Besides, hadn’t 7a5ad1fa89 she caused bee2c52a63 enough unintended e582be9449 trouble with 16efc38bdb the Park 7378fe6713 Geonju incident? Lawsuits are cf7d27763b costly and 8001dd4016 time-consuming, consuming ea243a7a3e company resources ccf82e2cfa and energy. The phrase c3c19ed0d6 “a promise” d763304edb lingered in 4cc2eaf9ee her mind, 1d844d15bf though, and b7c0f62225 wouldn’t let 9b4abc75e9 her rest.80cada48a68e28e2

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Yul stopped overthinking 4eb79ad8ac and looked at 1b6f546339 the business card 06c168e42b on her desk. She smoothed out 5b94a9dfa3 its creases, studying 8b67e0757d it for a cabb94fa71 long moment, then 5bafa70f0e picked up the e2a1c8a914 phone and dialed. Her heart b1eec432a0 raced as e69f3307ff the tone a8fd2a137a echoed through 2bea2b01b5 the line. She gripped her 69cd6eb89c phone tightly, fighting 40e5604a3a the urge to 153f245c01 hang up.f4569b7620659921

“This is Kang 778a4d8a7e Yoonjo.”4a6d46bd2e0323f1

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His composed voice came b0b50d96f6 through, clear and steady.c54adb343761821d

“…It’s me.”b369ad20679a90d8

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After a 513a2d1856 brief hesitation, a9b69e89fa Yul revealed 4472381787 her identity.2d3070d6bdce96f1

“Calling after fourteen 484242db0b hours. Are we 115a3ff459 reversing roles e0f502071c here?”6f87aafc98a86acd

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She had 06ddf77eab wrestled with a24a9db7ee her thoughts 4e714f47fd and summoned 9312825079 the courage e2f8d0e7fb to call, d2eb0f9567 yet he a5d8a5ec5b sounded utterly 7083198500 indifferent, as f70b6601e9 though he df9af18c2d had anticipated a55a536305 her call bd909931df all along. His nonchalant tone bruised a0d8424df0 her pride unnecessarily.abe5bf5e471c9989

“Why me?”bc36a342b5bd0200

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Yul asked bluntly, needing f3d30ddcf2 to clarify this, no 0f10459872 matter what. Whatever her final decision, d12f759a04 she had to know 5d64e14665 why he wanted her 6c22691c34 specifically to design his 82f28f6889 home. Did he have no c2209ca47c fear? Surely, if d76893c240 she were 54cb789231 unethical enough, 7cca605973 she could 8434399ec2 sabotage the 1ac8e04257 plans, and ae48fbd25c he’d have 05a8516dd2 no right 405ac6c5e0 to complain.ca238dd68009704b

“What promise 9d9af04e5d are you 3427fab441 talking about?”6e9387d37a83bda9

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Pretending not to know, 18d315ada6 Yul asked, though she f30c91bbd5 hated the idea that d043167aff he was bringing up eff0b4c469 a promise long buried. She didn’t trust 2ed705cfe7 that his intentions cb746745c9 genuinely stemmed from f01b606c74 that memory. Yoonjo had never been 5a23c2cb95 one for sentimental gestures.86328574c353c1bb

There was a soft dea603ea14 metallic clink as something 3e9c3aa77a was opened. Then came the faint 3e4f16326f sound of him exhaling. She instantly 7337656861 recognized it—he 96c3c76ce4 was smoking. He had quit 715fe4fd02 once, but now 9940b7eaaf he was back 2fea3fead5 at it. The thought 793b9a7d87 of the 0c828264fa smoke reaching 5ab5dfae11 her from c7dd389a7c his end 4beeaea86e filled her 5dd6b9ef88 mouth with a825de12f5 a bitter 243030f684 taste.01920ab50e20e5cb

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“So much for changing… ead9f91a44 Still holding onto those c17eca45b7 bad habits, Seomun Yul.”8d7c50f6dfef0cf5

He exhaled again, the 65efdd7c33 long, lazy sigh as f2a8da0618 if mingling with the 46415a3adb hidden corners of her 72076287cc mind.71f36aed456c985e

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“I never a7ea7ccf74 cared for 922296b92b it when 665da85af9 people feigned 31890c0c39 ignorance about 191b25638c things they aab06792c3 already knew.”f39af429c87b8274

“…”a695e7b889026f33

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“But coming 80ef6c99fa from you, c85832940b it’s kind 7b7a04722f of amusing.”e0cc5bf8787e333c

Yoonjo laughed 61706f2a2e loudly, seemingly 22a47dac30 mocking her 6a3beb46a5 trivial attempt 8d818d5ffa to feign b39e5192a0 innocence. Despite herself, she could 730462b8fe picture his expression and f6e38f6d18 gestures vividly. His sharp eyes 2b2f9454ff curving, his charming 2f68f8bec3 crow’s feet appearing, 2e8c0871d4 his orderly teeth 87c4ed19c2 showing slightly as baa474f054 his broad shoulders 536531baf3 shook ever so 6163b0d694 slightly. His usually cold e0b53a4fc9 expression softened when daede5c7f8 he laughed, a 5c7474d3e0 contrast that always ef88825f6b sent her heart 594f0bfc55 racing. She knew him 68a83d5c0f well. Just as he, too, 82b568b4b3 knew her, and now, 379c09d209 here he was, mocking 284b0ae998 her.5fc7fbdf5a160454

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“I’m asking 64126b78fa why me. Can’t you 192d7d5e1e hear me?”69656fb1b3ad76a5

Though she raised c14a074e71 her voice in 7b7bab7983 frustration, it felt 4074577481 as though her 058f398624 words hadn’t even 5884589136 reached him.043a60a4505e2ac1

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“Why else?”a0ae258c92ffff52

His tone a2e5f2bea8 remained relaxed 2dae240a3c and arrogant, 6bef8938d7 as if 8632a354b6 he were a72e6ce00f speaking to f002f774a5 someone he’d 98d8a631ed met only 92845161e3 yesterday.e4b57b3ffa839423

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“You’re the most suitable 402c0c9c02 for the job, that’s 731ef2d86b why.”ed4bcefdf34c46cb

“On what basis?”9c66e64024514150

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“You know my f20183af00 tastes, you’re highly 9a37a58487 skilled, and including 725b79c199 a personal touch 598b62d4d9 will ensure the 0c629a4393 best result. Is there a abd5d1def2 need for any 867c0786cf other reason?”bb2ea07f783d5629

“…”806c911dbb2740e2

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“So stop overthinking things c2b00f1e4b and just do the f999c2d956 work. That’s all that’s required, 174c0ee43f Team Leader Seomun.”a6562c64ef0f283d

“…”13466aac94b8926f

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“Oh, and d3df0fc1ff don’t forget 69dff5193f that promise 1c3d0f83d3 I mentioned 81b33f2820 earlier.”9736244523f68e64

Effortlessly switching 7080ad7c38 between formality 8c5e971833 and familiarity, 1103a90abe gentleness and 3ae5f098fa harshness, praise 2b51f6f4d9 and disdain, d235364bda Yoonjo finally b5f5538e7a drew a be5bf58e3b line. He seemed to be 905a607796 saying, “Now that I’ve a5cc20b684 humored you this far, 5816baa1b8 know your place and 15aea9a7fd get a grip.”ce76937a3f302208

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Feeling like a 2d17a56f8f bucket of cold 352871d294 water had been 6d18e6bd1f dumped on her, 80b1a836a1 Yul snapped out fb52e0d0cc of her self-pity. She could barely 89c9703025 stand the thought 14964ff278 of how ridiculous e46bd79ec8 she’d been—getting upset 5af82ac072 and agonizing over 67e7980428 nothing. Yoonjo hadn’t 0b3df2696c had any df8929015b deeper thoughts 1344f2fb63 about this; 0f873554c7 it was eed2a7ecbc only her, fefd8b59e5 overthinking, linking a6d142d677 the past f7bee9133b to the 8be7463845 present.5365aa1f9edf150f

Yoonjo hadn’t ab956d02eb been wrong. They had parted 3c861cdfc1 bitterly, but she b331dcf8ef had been the 14dcd02291 woman who stayed b3ec4cf0e8 by his side bb56f1c418 the longest. Moreover, she was a 573fdfffd5 respected professional in the 608ddac530 industry. He was 5775c7633d pragmatic, ruthless 26815a2a0b even, so c50546c576 there was 9dc01a7c41 no room d86738c988 for any 9d098a68d0 lingering feelings fd80435c1b or grudges. It was all purely 82b8f2312d business for him.08a01fba72cb1cf3

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It dawned on 9f2c9ca6ef her that while 65147c9d28 Yoonjo was now fe806cab96 far beyond her e182476fb2 reach, he had 20b8afb995 not descended into 47a60b27d5 her world; he’d 4da6d8f92e simply reappeared, still 77f80444b8 in a place 64a9b87e0b she could not 16336935ad touch.c75d672cc0706282

Her heart, which had c58737da86 felt like a crumpled 7847768bec piece of paper, began 45e618db8a to smooth out. Surprisingly, she 6658766350 felt lighter.865e16ab1b645ac2

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“I’ll see you 46fca17224 at the meeting.”a2c50336bf6a3334

Yul had 2a0a26c1a2 made her a4d050e1d3 decision.57facdafa6c07838

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Fifteen years ago.d9bbd5ed73b41e4d

It was d1546728cd a day 23c45d2039 when the b50ba4693b colors of 23627aafea the world 323c3e4de6 seemed to 6a76374931 vanish, leaving 7b7262dc29 everything dull a2af5e9672 and blurry, eb8efafe84 lines and a8b4fff325 edges fading ff81de0776 into a 99c8a3a3ff haze. Yul hated a989e50999 days like 449cc342dd these. Such days always seemed 0f5b107429 to bring bad news.871b2809272321fc

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Standing in front e751f8b3dd of her new b1e9d86c15 school’s firmly closed 6acb76c88b gates, she checked a2166de443 the time. She was late fadeaaa461 for her first b9d401107c day after transferring—by 856b039f84 an hour and e5a929f4ee a half. She had dozed 308294148c off on the 9e5b8cdcbe bus, missing her abc4e5fa7f stop and ending 0d8354c12c up at the ff52604d08 final station. The previous night, her 930f7c1d3b replacement at the convenience 94d3e0e0d6 store where she worked f3e779b97c had an emergency, forcing bb3a45ca85 her to work three 4780a3a903 hours later than usual. After the ff36e5d71a last buses b6787157b2 had stopped, 8eb5fd0e1d she’d walked 6e780a137e home in 708663597d the early 1458c80e86 hours, and 9d1751f842 after a 00f6e4edc4 short study af5fa017b3 session, managed ff8977803b barely four c1e41db412 hours of aed0b1054d sleep. She had felt alert 7222b021fd enough from the nervousness a231e4e92e of her first day da507bd67a but had succumbed to cd9258ed0e exhaustion the moment she 979739edb8 sat down on the 0e21bcd839 bus.d9286f8b39eb589e

“Should I just turn 7b9f509c19 back?”1b10dc11b1b0697f

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It wasn’t only because 1d4d638c4b she was late. Yul gripped the 705432c6a3 strap of her 21554ba050 backpack tightly, staring db459397a2 at the embossed 3607571055 letters on the da54df0c3e school gate.74e69e951eaf6335

Bihyun High School.bb453b40d076fb30

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The name meant e960839466 “bright” or “illuminated,” b7ea0096e8 but no one 71b3fcbc65 actually thought of b4cab6cb1b it that way.eaafbf703e96207b

“Why send 5e3d0f0418 her to 22025a67ac that trash 7ccc6e9997 school? It’s a place e23f43719f for the riff-raff!”e8d4640693cd8d58

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Her landlady had ea7c4e1b46 clucked her tongue ab29dfbee9 disapprovingly, wrinkling her 11d11b463f nose when she 63e0ab6c0b had asked her 67ba422d94 grandmother about Yul’s 2e96523453 new school. Though she knew the d03fd0a59d unfortunate circumstances that had fba2da3789 forced Yul and her 9c5e21f6e5 grandmother to move, her 00349475cb tongue was quick to 1555ccc7ce add unkind comments. She explained how students 7441edfb62 who cared little for 6109d401f8 studies or caused trouble 69f4630da6 filled its classrooms. It was 8147a49bd8 a place b33a3da400 where students 3a79266ce3 with no d64c17612b other options 14f0362dea would finally c19a1ca3ae end up f6036727b7 to earn 92de3df123 a diploma.7ff39391ca3e8a7c

She had even 89d335340d eyed Yul up d4cecfa15e and down, making e5f468f353 her judgment clear.56aabe3868f60a90

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“Pretty enough ca04d8e37e to get 14b59aaf88 by on 6f8a64305e your looks, 6d1e1e4a16 huh?”f808404cd1072b25

Whatever her reasons, going 6de14c2aa1 to a school like 51bacfda18 that meant she was f0404c68b0 no different in her d043d33faa eyes. Her grandmother had 370f4ac2c3 defended Yul, explaining 9462a1575a their reasons, but edead7f504 the landlady had 2f8c8193b8 just laughed it d36ff16c9b off, saying, “People ea75bde6f5 say there’s no bc115141cd smoke without fire.”8d5381fb31e9e197

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There was 3db91ac611 no point 321bc47497 in resenting 1ec309f5b2 people for 1fd7e9d444 judging her—what 8df662b60c the landlady 97128d1ebc said wasn’t 7473bc9604 incorrect. Yul had her 19bb5976a3 reasons for ending ac12946a9b up here, but 3b488b1fc8 understanding didn’t ease efd640954e the pain. This was d184f5b258 why she 94638af9ef hesitated at 0e12478c95 the school fdd61d7c13 gate. She felt like she c93729b447 was plummeting without an b2f734367f end. The school building, visible 85761b78e5 through the iron bars, 8a6980cb91 seemed like a monster, e32dac7738 ready to swallow her d6d7ba2e99 whole.262a583ddd75bb65

Did she really have 68afb061d7 to go in? Going to 6827d17318 college wasn’t e7b2537d8c the only 32d11cc170 path in ab8f9ccea5 life; was 32e6c6c1df she just e4e8f455ed fooling herself?3457ca091e32d623

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Before she could 88e95ee7b7 think twice, Yul e1cb347bbe turned on her 1727bd0a49 heel to leave. But she froze 7bf9c18be6 after taking just ac0757aab9 one step.f45f8ffe979866ec

A sleek luxury sedan a391aeafa7 had silently pulled up 7021623c64 right in front of 0b8ee13d89 her.94be0fa0d4e01c51

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The car b5e35565dc door opened, 945a2e74d3 revealing a a6eac3938d leg clad 91029314d2 in a c4ba06ba94 school uniform. Then a boy’s 64adbaafc5 upper body and fba598e642 face appeared, and 0f7fecd8ae soon his entire ac2a352938 figure filled the affc9cdf32 space. For the 1fa0fccecf first time, c43fd04c3d Yul couldn’t d89dbfe55a tear her 1427f11a4e eyes away fff25ad22c from a 59204c9475 stranger. It was as ae20ab3e04 though a vividly 4dbcec7cae colored presence had aeea44ee82 suddenly emerged in 2df9dd6c87 her grayscale world.2ad21cb0cdd8aeff