EOFD 15

Chapter 15

The End of First Love

Two weeks slipped by in the blink of an eye, and Yeonwoo pulled her school uniform off the hanger and put it on.

During that time, she had been living almost like a recluse inside the annex.

No one knew exactly why the gangsters had come looking for her. Her aunt had rushed out and shoved her savings into their hands. It couldn’t have been much, but maybe the police showing up was enough to make them back off for the time being.

Still, word quickly spread all over Gojung-eup that the person those thugs were looking for was Seo Yeonwoo.

So, it was no wonder she felt burdened at the thought of stepping past the blue gate. Her aunt, though she grumbled about the inconvenience, didn’t let Yeonwoo outside either.

“I’ll just go do the shopping.”

“Where do you think you’re going! Stop making noise and go pound some garlic.”

At first, her aunt had scolded her endlessly—calling her crazy, blaming her for sneaking out and dragging all this trouble to their door. But she also hated being the subject of gossip, so she wagged her hips and went shopping herself.

That was how Yeonwoo ended up stuck in the annex kitchen, never able to leave. Above all else, if she did go out, there was one gaze that fixated on her too openly. Even without turning her head, she knew very well it was Woo Jungha.

That was the second reason she didn’t step outside the annex.

For Yeonwoo, the idea of her heart racing when she thought of a boy was something unfamiliar.

Night after night, she had tossed and turned restlessly. But then, remembering her situation, she tried to lean toward ignoring Jungha instead.

“……”

“……”

But when their eyes met directly, like now, she found it hard even to keep a straight face.

The moment Woo Jungha, who always wore only drab, monochrome clothes, appeared in a crisp white shirt with a loosely knotted tie around his neck, Yeonwoo’s heartbeat spun out of control.

Feeling every nerve in her body pull in one direction, she hurriedly stepped down off the wooden porch and shoved her feet into her sneakers. When she slipped through the blue gate first, Jungha’s long strides followed right behind her.

Tap, tap.

Her dragging pace sent a stone skittering under her toes. Even without him calling her name, Jungha’s sharp, persistent gaze burned into her, leaving her nowhere to escape.

Sure enough, Jungha kicked the pebble she’d half-kicked aside and spoke.

“Hey.”

“……”

“Slow down a little.”

Yeonwoo deliberately turned her head away, making it obvious she was ignoring him. In response, Jungha reached out and lightly tugged on the strap of the backpack hanging off her shoulders. She nearly stumbled, glaring back at him.

“What are you doing?”

“Why are you ignoring me?”

“I told you not to talk to me. Right now, you’re the one ignoring what I said.”

Even as she said it, her eyes wavered faintly at his indifferent expression. When Jungha finally released her strap, she turned away at once, striding quickly down the slope.

She’s going to trip at that rate.

Jungha raised one eyebrow crookedly, watching her cold retreating figure.

By the time they entered town and other kids in school uniforms appeared, Yeonwoo slipped into the crowd.

Her hand clenched tightly around the strap of her bag.

The waxed wooden floorboards creaked loudly.

The students in this class had known each other’s family circumstances since they were small—Gojung-eup was just that small of a place.

So when a pretty new girl suddenly transferred in, she naturally became a target. Between the cliques, Seo Yeonwoo ended up drifting on the outskirts, always alone.

“Look who actually had the guts to come back to school.”

As soon as Yeonwoo stepped into her third-year classroom, Chae Eunyoung muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear. Instantly, the class fell silent, and dozens of sharp stares stabbed into Yeonwoo.

Petty harassment was nothing new for Yeonwoo, who had lived house to house all her life—but today, those looks cut deeper.

She kept her expression composed and sat down, but the whispers aimed at the back of her head were vicious.

“How’d that even happen?”

“I don’t know. My mom said her mom was…”

“No way—then does that mean Seo Yeonwoo’s going to be sold off too?”

“That’s so creepy.”

As always, rumors that weren’t true came out of mouths as if they were.

It wasn’t just because she was a transfer student that Yeonwoo was bullied. She stood out too much—her looks, and the fact that she had snatched the number one academic ranking as soon as she arrived.

That rank used to belong to Chae Eunyoung, the precious daughter of the village head from back when Gojung-eup was still Gojung-ri. Being loud and influential, Eunyoung’s hatred quickly became the other girls’ hatred too.

Meanwhile, the boys—after being coldly rejected in their clumsy flirtations—turned their wounded pride into resentment. So, bullying her became something everyone silently joined in.

“Hey, at least explain yourself. How are we supposed to keep coming to school if those men show up again?”

“……”

“What are you staring at me for?”

Eunyoung snapped sharply. Yeonwoo slowly glanced around at the eyes following Eunyoung’s lead, then pressed her lips shut and unpacked her bag. There was no point in explaining; she knew any words would just turn into bigger rumors.

Apparently, that composure irritated Eunyoung even more. She stepped closer and gave Yeonwoo’s black backpack a hard kick.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Can’t you just stop coming to school? I’m honestly too scared. Just pack your stuff now and go home.”

A sly, mocking smile glossed with red lipstick curled on her lips. Her short hair, puffed up with volume, looked ridiculous in Yeonwoo’s eyes.

“Guess you’re really chicken-hearted. Getting scared over something that has nothing to do with you.”

“What?”

“Unless you’re going to lend me money, would you mind backing off? The teacher will be here soon.”

Yeonwoo spoke in a low, casual voice, glancing toward the front door. Eunyoung clenched her fist, about to raise her voice in anger, when—

“All right, everyone, sit down.”

Tap, tap. Their homeroom teacher, who always tapped the doorframe with the attendance book, came in wearing the same weary expression as usual. Eunyoung quickly spun around, but not before shooting Yeonwoo a glare that said just you wait.

Yeonwoo sighed heavily, frustration plain on her face. Just then, her eyes met Jungha’s, standing at the front door.

What?

His face silently asked if something had happened. Yeonwoo jerked her head away reflexively. Jungha’s brow furrowed.

“Did everyone enjoy their vacation?”

The teacher climbed up onto the platform. Yeonwoo struggled to calm her heated cheeks. Meanwhile, Jungha’s eyes swept over Eunyoung and her little group.

They’re nothing.

That was all he thought. The reason Yeonwoo kept pushing him away was obvious.

If his own mother had been desperate to drag him into her idea of misfortune, Seo Yeonwoo was the opposite—someone trying to swim through misfortune alone, clawing for the surface. Even if there were a lifeboat right in front of her, she’d choose to swim by herself. That was just the kind of person she was.

So, of course, she’d push him away, conscious of such worthless eyes.

Jungha’s cold gaze brushed chillingly over Eunyoung once.

“No answers, no motivation… figures.”

Clicking his tongue, the teacher glanced around the room. After teaching this same class for their entire third year, he didn’t even need to call roll to know who was missing.

He opened the book lazily and marked a slash across one box, then nodded toward Jungha, who was still standing at the doorway.

“Unexpectedly, we’ve got a transfer student. Introduce yourself.”

“Woo Jungha.”

Without bothering to write it on the blackboard, Jungha simply stood crookedly at the front and stated his name.