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chapter 19
The restaurant was the same as ever. The old wooden rafters, the mingled scents of sesame oil, fermented soybean paste, and soybean stew.
Not long after they ordered, a humble meal was set on the low wooden table where the two sat.
“Eat.”
“Yes.”
Yeon-seo still couldn’t figure out his intentions.
It was too thoughtful to be explained away as just his personal taste. He must’ve been tired after work, yet he had personally driven all the way to Yangpyeong. And the food might not even suit the palate of a rich heir like him.
Hesitating, Yeon-seo began filling her silver bowl with namul (seasoned vegetables). Mixing it with red pepper paste and sesame oil, then adding a spoonful of fermented soybean paste, she found her appetite reviving.
Fortunately, it seemed Do-heon was eating well too. Unlike usual, when he filled meals with his impassive expression, this time he was different. Watching his cheeks puff out as he chewed quickly was actually kind of cute.
After neatly finishing a bite, Do-heon swallowed and said,
“This place is pretty good.”
At his words, Yeon-seo felt more at ease.
Even after finishing her bowl, she still felt unsatisfied. Sensing this, Do-heon said to the owner,
“Another bowl of rice here, please.”
Yeon-seo waved her hands to refuse, but once another bowl was placed before her, she realized she could eat more after all. She ended up clearing the dish completely, only to feel a heavy fullness sink in afterward.
“I ate well.”
“Mm.”
Do-heon paid the bill, then walked out of the restaurant with her. Watching his back, Yeon-seo felt a wave of gratitude.
Like any ordinary couple, they stepped into a nearby café afterward.
Seated by the window, the two enjoyed the dimming scenery and the soft music, letting time flow slowly.
Yeon-seo liked that his expression seemed more relaxed than usual. It almost made her feel as though they really were lovers.
Did I eat too much?
Whether it was from being with him or simply from eating so much for the first time in a while, her stomach didn’t feel quite right.
“I’ll be back from the restroom for a moment.”
She excused herself and headed to the bathroom.
While washing her hands at the sink, she heard the sharp clack-clack of stilettos approaching. A woman stopped beside her, staring intently.
What, does she want me to move?
Unease prickled over her. Lifting her head, she looked in the mirror—only to freeze. She blinked and checked again, but still couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Woo Yeon-seo?”
The face staring at her dredged up all the loneliness of her school days in an instant.
Park Se-na. Why are you here…
Yeon-seo’s body trembled faintly.
“Wow, it’s really been forever.”
Her old high school classmate. Se-na exclaimed, her face bright, baring her teeth in a wide smile.
“You remember me, right? I always wondered how you were doing, and here we meet.”
“…”
“Yeon-seo, you got prettier, huh? You always wore those worn-out clothes so no one noticed, but I guess going to a good university really changes a person. You go to S University, right? Where did you get a job?”
Yeon-seo pressed her lips into a straight line.
Park Se-na hadn’t changed. She still had the talent of crushing people with a smiling, harmless face.
“…How can you act like you know me?”
Yeon-seo’s face turned cold as she shot back. Se-na playfully tapped her shoulder.
Her slender shoulder was shoved hard.
“What? You’re still hung up on us not getting along when we were kids?”
“Not getting along… when we were kids?”
They say forgetfulness is a gift from God, but there are memories impossible to erase.
Se-na had been her classmate through elementary, middle, and high school—someone Yeon-seo had once believed to be her best friend.
At least until she overheard some girls in the restroom pouring water into her stall and laughing:
‘Hey, Park Se-na said her mom ran off with some married guy.’
‘Yeah, I heard that from Se-na too. Guess cheap blood shows. She acts all prim, but she seduces guys.’
‘Ugh, so annoying. Even Min-seong likes her, apparently. Gross.’
‘She never even answers when we talk to her. What a brat.’
Her mother hadn’t run off with a married man—she had simply abandoned the family. But the rumor spread uncontrollably.
The cold stares lasted all the way until graduation. Kids not only insulted her loud enough for her to hear, but also posted mocking comments about her on school communities and social media.
Yeon-seo never responded. She focused on her studies.
But the bullying escalated anyway. The stench of fish sauce in her gym clothes, obscene graffiti on her desk, buckets of water dumped over her stall.
And Se-na had watched it all. Laughing just like now, as if she were watching an exhibit in a zoo.
She had been an even crueler bystander than the bullies themselves. Yeon-seo still remembered those bright, innocent eyes fixed on her suffering.
Yet despite all of it, Yeon-seo had survived.
She had her grandmother to keep her grounded.
Still, the betrayal cut deep, and in college, she chose to remain a loner.
“Don’t justify what you did so easily. It’s disgusting.”
Heat rose in her throat. Fear, anger, betrayal. Even after all this time, her feelings toward Se-na hadn’t faded.
“Yeon-seo, why are you being like this?”
Se-na frowned, stepping closer.
“See, this is why you never had friends. You treat people like villains just because you drifted apart. What did I ever do to you?”
Rummaging through her bag, Se-na pulled out a business card.
“I just got a job. Here’s my contact—let’s meet up again.”
When Yeon-seo stared blankly at it, Se-na’s lips curved into a victorious smile.
“It’s Seoguk Group. I have connections there. Who knows? If you stay on my good side, maybe you’ll have a shot too.”
Yeon-seo took the card. A bitter laugh escaped her lips. The world really was small. Of all companies, it had to be Seoguk.
“Did you just laugh?”
“Yeah. I laughed.”
No longer wanting to waste words, Yeon-seo walked away. She didn’t want this bothersome person ruining her mood.
Where did he go all of a sudden?
Back at her seat, Yeon-seo realized Do-heon was gone.
She didn’t want him seeing her like this. She needed to get out of the café quickly. But just as she was scanning for him, an abrasive voice cut through the air.
“Woo Yeon-seo, did you just laugh at me?”
“…Do you still have more to say? I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
“Hey. Just admit you’re jealous. That’s what always bothered me about you!”
“What?”
“You were jealous of me, weren’t you? I know you were. You tried to act indifferent, but I saw it. The expensive coats, the bags, the mom who always cooked delicious meals, the rich dad! You didn’t have any of that!”
It wasn’t something she could completely deny.
Se-na’s family was well-known in Yangpyeong for their wealth. Every time Yeon-seo visited, she was struck by how different their worlds were. Not that it compared to the Myungseonjae estate, of course.
But she had never shown envy, because her grandmother’s words were always with her:
‘Yeon-seo, there are all kinds of people in the world, but to me, my granddaughter is the very best. Never shrink yourself. Always stand tall.’
And so, Yeon-seo had lived steadfastly.
She didn’t need expensive coats, fancy stationery, a doting mother, or a rich father. As long as she had her grandmother and her younger sibling, Yeon-jae, she was happy.
So that’s what you thought every time I visited your house… and I never even knew.
Rubbing her eyelids, Yeon-seo let out a low sigh.
“What exactly is there to be jealous of?”
Then, an overwhelming presence pressed down on them. Yeon-seo flinched. The one person she hadn’t wanted to see her like this—Do-heon—had appeared.
“What is it you think Yeon-seo envies? I’m wondering if there’s something I failed to provide.”
Se-na’s attention instantly shifted to him, drawn by the aura of a man unlike any she’d ever met.
“Oh, you’re her boyfriend? I’m Park Se-na. You could say I’m an old friend of hers.”
“Funny. I didn’t know she had any friends.”
Yeon-seo had never explained her lack of friends to him. And his words carried the weight of someone who’d investigated thoroughly before marriage—implying there really shouldn’t be anyone he didn’t know.
Would you like me to continue with the next chapter (20화) as well?
