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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: What Do You Think of Me?
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Choi Jong-min recognized Hee-jin in the video and asked Jun-woo.
“Isn’t that your mom?”
“Yeah.”
“No way. How did you two end up tangled like this?”
“......”
“I was wondering why Cho-hee has such a personality. Turns out she takes after her mom.”
“There was a guy from the studio there too.”
“Really? So what happened?”
“They ran away.”
“You just let them run off?”
“Yeah.”
Choi Jong-min got worked up, saying it was unbelievable.
“Are you crazy? Why would you let them go? Did you report it?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Cho-hee knows them anyway.”
“So?”
“He got on his knees. Begged me not to report it.”
Choi Jong-min looked shocked, unable to believe that Cho-hee would act like that.
“So you didn’t because of that?”
“I’m thinking about it. What’s the best way to keep A-jin from getting hurt as much as possible? It’d be ideal if Cho-hee told her herself.”
“You think she’ll say it herself?”
“Then maybe it’s better if she stays in the dark.”
He was more worried about delicate A-jin getting hurt than punishing Cho-hee.
She was already hurt by the unfamiliar side of Cho-hee in that video.
She’d spent the whole day stunned, her face full of disbelief.
If she found out about the horrific thing Cho-hee had done,
It was impossible to even imagine the shock she’d feel.
* * *
The next day, Cho-hee came to school.
As soon as she arrived, she had a meeting with her homeroom teacher, Jin Mi, and the student affairs teacher.
A-jin waited for her outside the counseling room.
What she’d done was wrong, but A-jin wanted to hear her side.
As her friend, she wanted to stand by her side anyway.
“All done?”
“Yeah.”
“You okay?”
“......”
“Can I ask what happened?”
A-jin asked carefully, and Cho-hee seemed to hesitate for a moment.
But there was something she wanted to ask even more.
A-jin hadn’t been reachable all weekend, and it had frustrated her.
“Why didn’t you pick up?”
“Oh, it broke, so I left it for repairs.”
A-jin didn’t mention she’d given it to Jun-woo.
She didn’t want to draw more attention to Cho-hee, who already looked exhausted from the kids’ stares and whispers.
“How’d it break?”
“I dropped it.”
“Oh god.”
Cho-hee clicked her tongue, calling her careless.
“Why’d you come all the way here?”
“I was worried about you.... Did they scold you a lot?”
Cho-hee stared blankly at A-jin, who was only worried about her.
She looked foolish, not even realizing how much Cho-hee resented her.
“What’s the big deal about getting scolded.”
“Why’d you do something so out of character?”
“My mom was in the wrong, sure. But I can’t just not take her side.”
If that was the reason, A-jin felt she could understand Cho-hee.
She was quietly relieved.
At least she hadn’t just rudely lashed out at Hee-jin without reason.
“So is everything resolved?”
“It’s being handled. Might have to pay compensation.”
“Compensation?”
“Yeah. You saw it too. It was because of that ring.”
“Was it expensive?”
“It was an amount we couldn’t even imagine. Twenty million won.”
“Twenty million won?”
A-jin couldn’t close her mouth at the unimaginable sum Cho-hee mentioned.
Wondering if her words might help, A-jin spoke up.
“Cho-hee. That woman who was fighting with your mom.”
“What about her?”
“She’s Jun-woo’s mom.”
“Huh?”
How did A-jin know Hee-jin?
Curious, Cho-hee asked right away.
“How do you know that?
“Huh?”
“How do you know that woman is Jun-woo’s mom?”
“Well.... She’s a member of my blog.”
Talk about fate— they were connected in the weirdest way.
Cho-hee’s lips twisted.
For a moment, she’d felt grateful toward A-jin.
Her warmth, rushing over first to comfort her, had almost softened Cho-hee’s resentment.
“She’s a really nice person. How about telling her you go to the same school as Jun-woo? She might lower the compensation amount. Or ask Jun-woo?”
Cho-hee wasn’t listening to A-jin’s words.
She was just on edge, realizing she’d unknowingly built ties to Jun-woo’s family too.
“You’re close?”
“Huh?”
“Are you close with Jun-woo’s mom? Have you met Jun-woo too?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
Sly little fox.
She’d gone and built an intimate relationship.
Incredulous, her lips twisted again.
“Then could you ask her for me? Or are you not that close?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll talk to her. She’s really a good person.”
Resentment toward A-jin surged again.
Pathetic.
It felt like she was bragging about connections Cho-hee didn’t have.
That’s why she hated her.
Pretending to be a teddy bear while acting like a fox.
* * *
Cho-hee couldn’t even finish the morning classes and went home early.
The whispers and mockery from the kids gave her such a bad headache she couldn’t stay seated.
And she didn’t come to school for the next three days.
Without her phone, A-jin couldn’t contact Cho-hee.
She even went to her house, but no one was home.
Her homeroom teacher, Jin Mi, said Cho-hee had gone on a trip.
The walk home alone felt lonely, so A-jin stopped by a nearby sandwich shop.
She looked around inside the shop, then out the window, and figured it was about time for her parents to get off work, so she left.
As she passed a big alley and entered the apartment entrance, she spotted a familiar silhouette in the distance.
It was Jun-woo.
Wondering what he was doing there, A-jin approached him.
“Jun-woo?”
At her voice, he whipped his head around.
And immediately snapped at her.
“Hey! Do you know what time it is!?”
His irritation startled her, and A-jin asked with a look like something big had happened.
“Now? Not even 11 yet? Why? Something wrong?”
“11? Don’t you know how scary the world is? What kind of girl wanders around this late?”
A-jin had finally gotten her phone fixed.
He’d been frustrated not being able to reach her all that time.
He’d come over excited that now they could talk, but she hadn’t come home for an hour, and he’d been burning up with worry.
The phone was in his hand, no one was home, and it was suffocating.
‘She got attacked coming home late at night.’
On top of that, he recalled what the detective—Choi Jong-min’s uncle—had said before, making him even more worried.
“Come home early. It’s dangerous.”
“But there’s a security guard here.”
“This area has alleys.”
“Our neighborhood patrols a lot, so it’s not that dangerous.”
Jun-woo’s brow furrowed more at her nonchalant reply.
“They’re not always around. And it’s an old apartment with dim streetlights.”
A-jin couldn’t help but smile.
As she smirked, he looked at her like, what’s so funny?
“You just sound like my dad.”
“What?”
“My dad nags me all the time too. Come home early. Stick to crowded places. Keep your phone on because it’s dangerous. Oh, right. Did you come to give me my phone? It won’t be ready yet, right? I’ll have to leave it with you?”
After he’d said it would take time to fix the screen, A-jin had let go of expectations.
“Who do you think I am? Here.”
Jun-woo put on an arrogant look, like don’t underestimate me, and placed the phone in her hand with a satisfying click.
“Does it work?”
“Yeah. Turn it on.”
A-jin alternated between the smooth screen and Jun-woo’s face, then pressed the power button on the side.
She unlocked the pattern, and the home screen appeared.
Everything worked perfectly.
A-jin looked at him in awe, impressed by his skills.
Jun-woo shrugged like it was no big deal, pressing down on his puffed-up shoulder and acting nonchalant.
“Wow, amazing. How’d you fix it?”
“Just replaced the screen. What’s the big deal?”
“The touch works great, and it feels faster too?”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“Thanks so much. I was worried about the repair cost.”
“Just words?”
“Of course not. Want anything? I’ll buy you something tasty. Or any gift you want?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“But did you come just to give this? We’ll see each other at school tomorrow anyway.”
“......”
He did want to give her the phone quickly, but that wasn’t the only reason he’d come.
The necklace box, still unopened, had been sitting preciously in his desk drawer for days.
He wanted to put it around her neck as soon as possible, but the timing hadn’t been right.
He thought today was a good chance.
A good chance to convey his feelings once more.
While she checked the unread messages, he took out the gift box.
“I wanted to give you this.”
He held it out to her.
She looked up from her phone at what he was offering.
“Huh? What?”
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
Bewildered, A-jin hesitated before taking the gift box from him.
The wrapping tore slowly in her hands.
Even unwrapping showed her personality.
The slow time stopped, and finally, the wrapping was off.
A-jin opened the box from the top.
“A necklace.”
It was a snowflake-shaped necklace.
A silver one that sparkled beautifully—not too flashy, not too plain—perfect for her.
It was truly pretty.
“Like it?”
“Is this.... for me?”
“Yeah. Thought it’d suit you. Actually bought it a while ago, but never found the right time.”
“......”
A-jin stared intently at the necklace.
She seemed speechless from how pretty it was.
He felt pleased, seeing she liked it.
“I’ll put it on for you.”
He took a step closer.
But she took a step back.
Her expression didn’t look right.
She seemed sad, somehow.
“Sorry, but I can’t accept this.”
He hadn’t expected much, but it wasn’t the answer he wanted.
“Why?”
“The truth is.... Cho-hee likes you.”
“......”
He wasn’t surprised.
He already knew.
If anything, she seemed more surprised by his reaction.
“You knew?”
“Yeah.”
“You know what kind of relationship Cho-hee and I have?”
Of course he did.
You’re the only one foolishly thinking you’re just friends.
“......”
“Cho-hee’s going through a tough time right now. I can’t just hang out happily with you alone.”
Jun-woo felt frustrated.
Who was looking out for whom?
He desperately wanted to expose Han Cho-hee’s true face.
“Just curious, but do you think Cho-hee feels the same about you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think she truly sees you as a friend?”
“Of course.”
She didn’t have a shred of doubt.
‘Idiot.’
He barely held back from shouting it.
“There might be sides of her you don’t know.”
“Is it because of the department store thing? Cho-hee was wrong, but she had to take her mom’s side, so she had no choice.”
“You really trust her?”
“Don’t mock me.”
“Then? Besides Cho-hee?”
“What?”
“Forget Cho-hee’s situation. What do you think of me?”
“That’s....”
A-jin couldn’t bring herself to speak easily.
That made him even more curious about her feelings.
Obstacles or not, her heart was what mattered most.
At Jun-woo’s question, A-jin hesitated.
It was only a short moment, but to him, it felt suffocatingly long.
After the long wait, she finally spoke.
“Sorry. I should have clearly rejected you from the start, but I’ve been so indecisive until now......”
