-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Ugly Disguise
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yi Yeon took off the black horn-rimmed glasses perched in the center of her face.
She soaked a makeup remover pad with cleansing water and began rubbing it from her forehead. The freckles thickly scattered across her cheeks and the fairly large mole near the corner of her mouth vanished cleanly under her repeated rubbing, as if they had never been there.
Her lips, which she had deliberately coated thinly with concealer to drain the life from them, regained their rosy, plump allure.
Finally, she removed the curly bob wig that hung down past her eyebrows, tousling her flattened hair with her hands.
The clean face of Yi Yeon reflected in the mirror was so enchantingly beautiful that even the word "beautiful" fell short.
When she opened her previously half-lidded eyes wide, large, clear irises appeared, utterly different from before. Her thick, long double eyelids, as if adorned with false lashes, made her bright eyes even more vivid.
Her porcelain-white skin, the cute upturned nose in the center, and her moist, red lips all proclaimed at a glance that Yi Yeon was a rare beauty.
Someone completely different from the Yi Yeon who had gone to work was now sitting there.
Because of her extraordinarily striking looks, Yi Yeon diligently applied makeup and concealer every morning to hide her appearance.
To Yi Yeon, her beautiful looks were a misfortune.
* * *
Ever since she was young, Yi Yeon had drawn attention wherever she went, making her a local celebrity.
Not knowing the name "Yu Yi Yeon" would leave you out of conversations with friends at school.
As a student, her untouched innocence amplified it all, giving her an aura that sparkled brighter than an emerald back then.
With long straight hair and a height of 170 centimeters, her school uniform accentuated her long, shapely legs. She received so many casting offers that her home was piled high with business cards.
She was a girl who inevitably turned heads everywhere.
And there was a twist.
"Amazing, Yu Yi Yeon. You're at the library again today?"
"Yeah! I heard she made it into the top ranks of the whole school again... Life's so unfair, isn't it?"
"She studies hard despite how she looks. Smart and beautiful—totally unfair."
"Her parents must be thrilled. Unlike my mom, they can brag about their daughter all they want."
Yi Yeon was the girl who shattered the prejudice that pretty friends couldn't study well. Contrary to appearances, her grades were always at the top of the school.
Yi Yeon had high self-esteem and a competitive spirit. She hated when her grades slipped. She engaged in friendly rivalry with her best friend Ha Yul, pushing each other to improve.
As Yi Yeon focused on her notes, she swept a stray lock of hair behind one ear, revealing pink cheeks like a ripe peach begging to be bitten. Her red lips, mumbling as if memorizing something, set many a young man's heart ablaze.
Two girls with straight bobs sitting across from her shot her dirty looks and whispered.
Being envied or resented was part of her daily life.
Yi Yeon plugged her ears again with the earbuds she had taken out, as if blocking it all out.
Wherever she went, Yi Yeon drew eyes, so incidents never ceased.
Unknown boys following her, strange men suddenly grabbing her wrist—it happened all too often.
But up until then, Yi Yeon didn't hate people themselves.
There were more good people around her. She thought only a few weirdos existed.
Until she realized that those you know can be the scariest.
⋮
Yi Yeon's parents ran a Chinese restaurant called Golden Dragon Tray Jajang. They had operated it since before she was born, making it a well over 20-year-old staple with booming business. Thanks to solid word-of-mouth, they even ran a chain location.
Having stayed in one spot for so long, several locals who started as regulars became like family.
From a young age, Yi Yeon had been especially fond of Uncle Jang Ho Yeop, the youngest among her father's loyal customers. Despite the significant age gap, he empathized with her well, making their conversations flow easily.
That day, Yi Yeon had turned 22 and was heading home from a get-together with college friends.
It was late evening, with few people around. Sensing footsteps behind her, she turned to see a familiar silhouette staggering toward her.
It was Uncle Yeop.
His unsteady steps suggested he had drunk heavily before heading home.
"Uncle!"
"There's my pretty Yi Yeon."
"Come on! Drink in moderation!"
Yi Yeon found him a bit unfamiliar with his tongue so thoroughly slurred. Even when he drank with her father, Jae-cheol, she had never seen him this wasted.
"Come here, take me home."
Intoxicated, his speech and tone were completely off from usual.
A chill made Yi Yeon hesitate for a moment, but when Ho Yeop staggered, she hurried to his side, slinging his arm over her shoulder and supporting him with all her strength.
"Men, you see..."
"Huh?"
"They drive you crazy."
Wondering what he meant, Yi Yeon turned her head and froze the instant her eyes met Ho Yeop's.
Murky, malevolent eyes. He didn't seem like the Ho Yeop she knew.
Ho Yeop's arm, draped over her shoulder, began sliding down bit by bit. It trailed from her shoulder down her back, settling around her waist.
Goosebumps prickled everywhere his hand passed, making her body tremble.
"Uncle, you're drunk, right?"
"No, my senses are sharp as ever. You look even prettier today, Yi Yeon."
Snapping to her senses, Yi Yeon shoved away Ho Yeop's hand groping her waist.
"If you're sober, I'm going."
"Where do you think you're going? You have no idea how many times I've imagined this day. Do you think any guy around you is there with pure intentions? Seducing men like this with your beauty."
He was insane. Clearly out of his mind.
Yi Yeon decided there was no need to respond further.
She bolted away. He didn't seem to follow, but once free, her tension released, leaving her limbs shaking.
She couldn't tell anyone.
Those close to you can be the scariest. Yi Yeon had vividly learned that even long-known faces could be facades.
And yet, he was the uncle she liked and trusted most among her parents' acquaintances. Nearly ten years of knowing him as a good person. Betrayal crashed over her like a wave.
The next day at the restaurant, Ho Yeop acted like he remembered nothing. But Yi Yeon caught the flicker in his eyes—he knew what he had done. He neither apologized nor made excuses, and stopped coming to the shop.
The shock was bigger than expected; Yi Yeon couldn't shake it off for a long time. She flinched at passing strangers and avoided men approaching to talk.
Even at a rare department gathering, she left early.
It had been weeks already. Ever since locking eyes with Uncle Ho Yeop's murky gaze, facing men felt repulsive and frightening.
How could someone like family do that to me?
The thought wouldn't leave her mind. His final words echoed in her ears.
"Do you think any guy around you is there with pure intentions? Seducing men like this with your beauty."
"Hey, Yu Yi Yeon! What're you doing ignoring me after I called you?"
At the voice, Yi Yeon shook her head to clear her thoughts.
It was Eom Ji Hu, the first male friend from her department she'd made since starting college. He had followed her out, saying he'd walk her home.
He was the mood-maker in their year. Humorous and quick-witted, he often volunteered as MC. With his tall frame and ruggedly handsome looks full of masculine charm, he was popular with girls.
Today too, he had been lively drinking with their classmates, and now seemed tipsy.
"Hey, you look drunk, so go home. I'm totally fine? I can get home alone."
Ji Hu ignored her and trailed behind like a bodyguard.
"You're so ugly, you'd get arrested by the cops alone. No way."
Her mind already unsettled, half-worried Uncle Ho Yeop might be lurking near home, Yi Yeon found Ji Hu's consideration reassuring and grateful.
Ji Hu always treated her strictly as a friend without crossing lines. That's how they had maintained their friendship for over three years.
It was the first time. The first man she could be friends with. Ji Hu gave her hope of building a bond as deep as with Ha Yul, her friend since teens.
Yi Yeon thought maybe she could consult him later about what Uncle Ho Yeop had said.
Lost in thought, they arrived at her home.
"Yu Yi Yeon, you going in?"
As she turned to thank him and enter, Ji Hu grabbed her.
"What, yeah, I'm going in."
"I have something to say, so stay a bit longer."
The moment he gripped her shoulder, Yi Yeon felt sudden anxiety.
"Can't it wait? I need to head in now."
Her heart pounded ominously.
"Yu Yi Yeon, I like you."
"I like you as a friend too."
"I like you as a woman."
Uncle's words echoed in her ears again.
Ji Hu pressed on with his confession before her paling face.
"Honestly, I think it was from the start. You were so beautiful, I fell at first sight. I was scared it'd ruin our friendship, so I held back. But with graduation coming, I didn't want to regret not telling you, so I'm borrowing liquid courage."
So that's it. I was so naive, thinking he was my first guy friend and letting my guard down.
"To me, you've always been a girl, Yu Yi Yeon. I never saw you as just a friend. Every time you looked at me so prettily, it drove me crazy in the best way."
Yi Yeon regretted being so naive. She had foolishly believed men and women could truly be just friends.
She respected pure feelings of liking someone.
But Yi Yeon no longer had the emotional room.
She couldn't accept or brush it off as a joke. Sadness welled up, a sense of something crumbling. Ji Hu's hand on her shoulder felt heavy.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry" was all she could say.
After fleeing inside, Yi Yeon avoided Ji Hu for the remaining few days of winter break, then changed her phone number as soon as it ended.
Perhaps because of Uncle Ho Yeop's memorable words, Yi Yeon began desperately hiding herself from some point on.
Her closet filled only with long clothes.
Was it to hide her emotional scars, her face, or both?
Pondering ways to look even uglier led to her current disguise.
Half-hearted attempts didn't help.
Hiding herself let her escape people's stares. The frequent incidents with men vanished.
Strangely, only after concealing did Yi Yeon feel like she was truly living as herself. Now, her disguised self felt more comfortable.
