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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: A Wound No One Should Know About
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In the noisy cafeteria, Cho-hee asked A-jin as if expecting some good news.
“Weren’t you supposed to give a presentation today? Did it go well?”
“What presentation?”
A-jin paused with a spoonful of rice halfway to her mouth at Cho-hee’s question.
“The world history presentation today, right? You went to the coffee shop yesterday to work on the assignment.”
“Oh, that. Yeah, it went well. I got a good partner and all.”
“It went well?”
Cho-hee wrinkled her brow as if that couldn’t be true, then quickly hid her expression when A-jin looked her way.
‘She finished the assignment well? No way…… I definitely deleted it. I definitely did.’
While A-jin was in the bathroom, she had erased all the assignment files from her folder and USB.
She often used A-jin’s laptop like it was her own, so knowing where the files were saved was no big deal.
She had deleted everything, so it didn’t make sense that the presentation had gone off without a hitch.
“You really gave the presentation?”
“Yeah.”
“How?”
“How?”
A-jin tilted her head, not understanding the question.
“I mean, you’ve lost files a bunch of times because you didn’t save them properly. Did you manage to do it without messing up this time?”
It would be trouble if A-jin realized she had deleted the files.
Cho-hee quickly made an excuse.
At that, A-jin smiled brightly and explained what happened that morning.
“Seriously, if it hadn’t been for Jun-woo, I might’ve been roasted by the class.”
“Oh, he had a backup……”
“Yeah, isn’t it amazing? Smart kids really are different. How did he even think to make a backup?”
“Oh…… Yeah. Good thing.”
She had overlooked Jun-woo’s sharp mind.
Her plan had gone awry, and it was disappointing.
It bothered her that A-jin and Jun-woo kept getting tangled up, and especially that Jun-woo’s name was coming out of A-jin’s mouth.
She had hoped A-jin’s mistake would drive a wedge between them.
Cho-hee’s face darkened sharply.
“What’s wrong? Something happen?”
A-jin looked at her with concern.
“Huh? No…… Just my stomach hurts a bit.”
“Really? Should we go to the nurse’s office?”
“It’s not that bad. Let’s go once you’re done eating.”
“Bye, Cho-hee.”
As they stood to clear their spots, Jong-min approached and greeted Cho-hee cheerfully.
Jun-woo was beside him.
She resented Jun-woo, who hadn’t responded to her confession and had ruined her plan.
But she couldn’t show her true feelings, so she forced her expression to stay neutral.
Cho-hee hurried away from the table.
“Let’s go together.”
A-jin followed her, and since Cho-hee ignored his greeting, Jong-min felt dejected.
“I’m done for. She’s totally ignoring me now.”
Deep in misunderstanding, Jong-min leaned his face on Jun-woo’s shoulder and pouted.
Jun-woo looked at him pitifully but patted his shoulder and offered some consolation in his own way.
“Eat your food.”
* * *
“Divorce me.”
“Who the hell do you think you’re doing this for? Divorce.”
Shouting voices echoed through the neighborhood.
“Ha…… Fuck.”
Cho-hee stood in front of her house door, spitting out curses in irritation.
Dad was home.
It had been so long she couldn’t even count the months.
But she wasn’t happy to see him at all.
She wished he’d just drop dead somewhere.
After hesitating whether to go in, she opened the door.
As she entered, she saw her dad first.
Distinct features, tall stature, broad shoulders, semi-curly hair parted neatly in a 5:5 style down to his shoulders—like an Italian man, stylish with an artistic aura.
She owed her own looks partly to her model mother, but mostly to inheriting her dad’s handsome face.
He had only passed on his looks and never acted like a father.
Her photographer dad had fallen for her model mom at first sight, gotten married right away, and had her the next year.
But their happiness didn’t last.
Dad started seeking a new muse, claiming artists needed one, while Mom fell into postpartum depression after giving birth to Cho-hee, her body and mind breaking down.
With no one else to lean on but Dad, Mom’s resentment grew worse by the day, and Dad, feeling suffocated, eventually left home.
He abandoned his wife and child, and only now, after a long time, showed up out of nowhere.
He said he’d found someone he really loved and begged for a divorce, saying he wanted to live with her before he died.
‘That one won’t last long either.’
Cho-hee had sneered inwardly back then.
Men were all like that.
Selfish beasts who only knew instinct, ready to leave for another woman anytime.
That’s why she dealt with them on her terms.
She liked them just enough not to get hurt, played with them until she got bored, then tossed them aside.
Men were just accessories to draw people’s gazes.
That’s why she wanted Jun-woo. Smart, handsome, great family.
With him, all the girls’ jealousy and admiration would be hers.
But she was getting uneasy because she felt herself starting to get serious.
“I absolutely won’t!”
“I’ll come back! Sign it by then!”
Frustrated that Mom wouldn’t meet his demands, Dad stormed out of the room without finishing the talk.
He hadn’t noticed Cho-hee come in and froze with an embarrassed look.
“You’re back?”
Cho-hee glared at him with contempt, as if she wanted to kill him.
“You want to get married that bad? If you’re gonna divorce anyway, why marry again?”
“It’s adult business.”
“Mom’s so pathetic. If it were me, I’d sign for that little effort.”
“Yeah. You convince your mom properly.”
It was absurd.
Having a heartfelt talk with her so-called dad made Cho-hee roll her eyes in disbelief.
“I’ve got a good idea. Why not just kill her? Then it’s widowhood, nice and clean!! No annoying person around, you can live happily with that woman. And when she gets annoying too, just kill her again.”
Cho-hee mocked him sharply.
Dad’s face flushed red, and he slapped her cheek hard.
Her head snapped to the side with a smack.
“You little brat, no manners.”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Cho-hee glared at him with even more contempt, and in that moment, Mom’s eyes flipped as she shoved Dad hard.
She grabbed the envelope with the divorce papers and threw it in his face.
“What right do you have to lay a hand on her? I’m never doing it, so take this and get out. I know where that bitch works! Come at me one more time, and I’ll make sure she never shows her face again as your mistress.”
“Fuck.”
Even beasts take care of their young.
But her beast of a father stayed true only to his own feelings to the end.
With a short curse, he slammed the door and left.
“You okay?”
Mom touched Cho-hee’s cheek worriedly.
Cho-hee huffed as she looked at her.
She felt sorry for her, heartbroken, but above all, frustrated.
“Just divorce him. What’s so great about that trash that you keep holding on? Go find someone else.”
“Don’t hate your dad too much. It’s Mom’s fault things turned out this way.”
“I’m sick of it. Both of you!! What’s so great about that guy that you defend him? Now I hate you more!!”
She wished Mom would at least find an older guy with money and live well.
Mom was still beautiful and young enough for a fresh start—why was she living so foolishly? In anger, Cho-hee unleashed harsh words.
She slammed her bedroom door and flopped onto the bed.
Then, muffling herself so Mom wouldn’t hear, she sobbed quietly.
* * *
“You’re really not eating?”
Worried because Cho-hee said she wasn’t having lunch, A-jin asked.
“Yeah.”
Cho-hee was face-down on her desk, mumbling a vague reply.
“So why’d you eat ramen in the middle of the night?”
To hide her swollen eyes, she had lied to A-jin about eating ramen at dawn.
“I just lost control. Go eat quickly. I want to sleep.”
“Want me to get something from the snack bar?”
“No. My stomach feels off after the noodles.”
“Oh? Should I bring some digestive medicine then?”
“It’s not that serious.”
“That’s why I keep telling you—if you’re hungry at night, at least have milk.”
“…….”
“Weak stomach and all. Want me to get you some milk?”
A-jin’s concern was just annoying, and her chirpy voice grated.
Irritated, Cho-hee snapped.
“I’m fine, go eat by yourself.”
Cho-hee complained a lot, but she’d never lashed out like this.
Startled by this new sensitive side, A-jin flinched in surprise.
Realizing she’d shown her true colors, Cho-hee looked up with a sweet smile.
“Sorry, I’m a bit on edge today. My face is all puffy, and the boys kept asking what was wrong. Answering the same question over and over is exhausting and irritating. My little puppy, you’ll understand, right?”
She had thought Cho-hee was mad at her and worried.
At Cho-hee’s words, A-jin nodded, thinking it made sense.
“Yeah, I get it. It must’ve been bad for our sweet Cho-hee to snap. Got it. Text me if you need anything.”
“Thanks. You’re the only one I can count on.”
A-jin waved as she left the classroom, and the moment she was gone, Cho-hee wiped the smile off her face.
“Does she have no clue? Like she’s the nicest, best person in the world. So annoying.”
A-jin’s excessive care and worry weren’t always welcome.
Her constant positivity and brightness sometimes made Cho-hee feel shabby and sparked anger instead.
* * *
“Why are you alone? Where’s Cho-hee?”
She had gone to check on Cho-hee and come back late, so her classmates were gone.
Forced to eat alone, the food tasted bland and she felt embarrassed, so she was stuffing her mouth as fast as possible.
Choi Jong-min and Park Jun-woo, who had been late from career counseling and were having a late lunch, approached A-jin.
“It’s…… not…… a…… big……”
“What?”
Her mouth was full, so she couldn’t speak properly.
When Jong-min asked and she mumbled, Jun-woo sat across from her, frowning.
“How many days has it been since you ate?”
Offended by Jun-woo’s words, A-jin bristled.
“Ah…… mind…… your…… own……”
A-jin quickly chewed and swallowed the food in her mouth.
Then she answered Jong-min’s question again.
“She said she’s not that hungry.”
“So she’s starving herself?”
“Yeah.”
“But you shouldn’t skip meals……”
‘If I say she ate ramen at dawn, Cho-hee might not like it.’
A-jin thought there was no need to go into details about Cho-hee’s situation.
“Missing one meal should be fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
Jun-woo said, looking at A-jin’s tray.
What was he going to tease her about now? A-jin shot him a sullen glare.
“What?”
“Want this too?”
Jun-woo picked up a sausage and put it on her tray.
This precious sausage to me?
A-jin’s eyes went wide in surprise.
“Hey! What about me?”
Jong-min sulked about not getting a sausage.
Jun-woo chuckled and said,
“She needs to grow.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
A-jin tilted her head and asked back.
“You can’t wear kids’ clothes forever.”
“What did you say!”
There it was.
She thought he’d let today slide.
If he didn’t pick a fight even for one day, thorns would grow in his mouth!
A-jin pouted, annoyed.
‘What’s her deal!’
A-jin was fuming, and Jong-min tilted his head, thinking something was off.
Jun-woo didn’t talk much with girls, let alone joke or tease them—not once.
Jun-woo took the water cup next to A-jin’s tray and pulled it toward himself.
“That’s what I was drinking.”
Thinking he was thirsty, A-jin told him she’d already sipped from it.
“I know. You’ll spill it again. Just leave it here and drink.”
“Worried I’ll make you clean up after me? Don’t worry, I won’t spill.”
“Yeah, right.”
Jun-woo smirked slightly, and A-jin wrinkled her nose, feeling ignored again.
They seemed to be arguing, but the atmosphere was oddly sweet.
Throughout lunch, Jong-min observed Jun-woo and A-jin.
