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Chapter 10

The friend who had reached out to Hae-ju awkwardly withdrew his hand.

"Take it home and put it there. My house—the one we live in together. The green gate at the very top of Songeun-dong. Surely you know where that is?"

"Oh..."

The taekwondo kids let out impressed exclamations. At his words, Hae-ju felt her face burn and, without looking back, hurriedly dashed back into the restaurant. The murmuring from the street faded as the door closed behind her.

After finishing her four-hour shift, Hae-ju left the restaurant. In her hand was the shopping bag full of gifts for Seok-eon. After about a fifteen-minute walk from the snack bar to the village entrance, the steep slope came into view. The long alley leading up to the hillside village was lit only by streetlamps.

A sigh escaped at the steep incline, but she moved her feet as always, accustomed to the path. Her trudging footsteps fell into a familiar rhythm. Step by step. Even tangled thoughts lost their power before exhaustion.

"Kang Hae-ju."

At the low voice calling her name, her weary steps halted. Slowly lifting her gaze, she saw a familiar silhouette before her.

Leaning against a streetlamp not far away was Lee Seok-eon. His arms were crossed, a cross-body bag slung carelessly over him, exuding an air of leisure. Suddenly reminded of the shopping bag in her hand and the letter in her bag, she felt an inexplicable irritation rise.

She wanted to throw it all at him and run away, but this was the only road home, and with the steep slope, she couldn't run properly—she'd surely be caught.

Suppressing the rising annoyance, she tried to turn and walk away, but his voice came again.

"I thought it was just rumors, but I didn't expect you'd actually be doing that."

His words caught her by the ankle. She stopped and turned her head to see Seok-eon walking toward her, staring intently even through the darkness.

"Tell me. Why were you there today?"

Was it her imagination that Lee Seok-eon's low voice sounded angry? Hae-ju, unsettled, tried to change the subject.

"Don't you have evening practice?"

"Since when were you interested in my schedule?"

At his scoffing, incredulous response, Hae-ju swallowed. The fact that Ja-young had told her was meaningless—she couldn't think of any excuse for knowing everything about Lee Seok-eon's routine.

"...What are you doing here, anyway?"

"You haven't answered my question yet."

"Why should I have to tell you?"

Perhaps her unusually sharp reaction was refreshing to him; one corner of Seok-eon's mouth curled up openly.

"Oh? Then should I ask Mrs. Park Ja-young directly—whether Kang Hae-ju is working part-time at a snack bar instead of the study room?"

At his sarcasm, Hae-ju flared up. "That's none of your business! And I'll handle my own affairs!"

Seok-eon looked down at her and laughed mockingly. "You'll regret saying that."

Still refusing to answer, Hae-ju watched as Seok-eon turned away. His movement, as if he was about to head straight home, made her panic and cry out, "Don't!"

He stopped, hands in both pockets, and looked down at her imperiously, as if interrogating her. Clearly enjoying having the upper hand, one corner of his mouth twitched upward.

Frustrated by the stifling situation, anger rose in her, but as always, there was nothing Hae-ju could do. She knew that if he decided to do something, he would follow through. If she didn't give him the answer he wanted, he would turn around and spill everything to Ja-young. And then Ja-young would blame herself.

For years now, Ja-young had been unable to work properly due to chronic arthritis and nephritis. Moreover, she had recently undergone knee surgery and spent a month in the hospital, so most of their income went to medical bills.

The rent in the hillside village hadn't changed from years past, and both Lee Seok-eon and Kang Hae-ju were still students. At least Seok-eon received a sports scholarship for taekwondo, which helped, and Hae-ju willingly contributed her meager government allowance to household expenses.

But that would end when she turned twenty. Even in that bleak situation, Ja-young insisted that Hae-ju must go to college. But in their current reality, was dreaming of college really the right thing to do?

"It's ridiculous that I have to make excuses to you, but whether it's studying or working, I'm doing my best. Shouldn't you be the one worrying about yourself? You're not even a national team member yet."

At that, Seok-eon frowned. "Who's worrying about whom?"

As he said, it was useless worry. Taekwondo athlete Lee Seok-eon had won numerous medals in national competitions and had no rivals his age. Barring any major upset, he would become a national team member without difficulty.

He would surely get into a prestigious university, become a world-class athlete, join a professional team, or even become the sports professor Ja-young dreamed of. In one way, she envied him. For him, a smooth path lay ahead, while Hae-ju couldn't see her own future at all.

"I'm not worried about you. I'm... most worried about myself. And besides... the promise I made with you is almost up."

At the unexpected remark, Seok-eon frowned as if struck on the back of the head. "What promise?"

"The promise that I'd leave the house when I turn twenty!"

It was Hae-ju who was taken aback by his bewildered reaction. Since that day at age twelve, that proposition had never left her mind for a single moment. Even now, she remembered that day vividly—the chilly weather, the harsh autumn sunlight, the cold wind that scraped against her throat.

To keep that promise from fading, Hae-ju had lived each day in tension. But unlike her, Seok-eon looked down at her with a face that seemed to ask, Did something like that happen? She suddenly felt deflated. A hollow laugh escaped her, but she clenched her fists and forced herself under control again.

"...It doesn't matter if you forgot. My plan remains the same."

Even as Hae-ju spoke stubbornly, Seok-eon's frown deepened.

"...Kang Hae-ju."

The triumphant look on Seok-eon's face, who had been gleefully exploiting her weakness, sank heavily.

"So you've been living with that one thought for seven years?"

At his questioning tone, Hae-ju fell silent. His attitude, as if she had said something she shouldn't, made her feel wronged. In their relationship, Kang Hae-ju was always the subordinate.

Even though she had been the one living faithfully as a debtor, his accusatory demeanor made her offer excuses that were hardly excuses.

"Yes, I'll be a faithful debtor. So I'll leave this tiresome, steep alley that's so hard to climb... I'll work hard and earn money. And I will definitely repay Auntie..."

"...Tiresome alley?"

"..."

Many excuses came to mind at his retort, but Hae-ju stubbornly pressed her lips together. She hated having to explain everything to him. At the same time, a stubborn streak mixed in, thinking she didn't care what misunderstandings he had.

The defiance she felt toward Seok-eon wouldn't easily settle. She racked her brain to hide her confusion, but no clever solution came.

What would she do when she turned twenty? When she could no longer stay at Ja-young's house, where would she go? Having left this place, where would Kang Hae-ju put down roots and live as a proper adult?

Unable to find an answer, Hae-ju felt empty. As she hurried to leave, her eyes fell on the shopping bag full of gifts in her hand.

Not hers—gifts meant to be delivered to him. It felt like a reflection of the foundation she had long tried to ignore. Hae-ju took off her bag, pulled out the red heart-shaped letter she had received earlier, shoved it into the shopping bag, and pressed it into Seok-eon's hand.

"And don't ever do that in front of the kids again."

At her resolute words, Seok-eon looked at the shopping bag in his hand and frowned. "Do what?"

"..."

Did he know that with a single glance from him, Kang Hae-ju became the target of everyone's attacks? She had always done her best to stay out of people's sight. Did Lee Seok-eon, who acted like a predator in the pack, truly not understand that Kang Hae-ju was the exact opposite of him?

A deep sigh escaped at the realization that their positions would never change. Further conversation was pointless.

"I'm going ahead."

Coldly passing Seok-eon, Hae-ju climbed the remaining slope, clenching her fists to keep her steps steady.

Her trudging steps soon reached the top of the hill, stopping before the green gate.

"I'm back."

Stepping into the yard, Jin-suk—the mother of the twin brothers—who was washing a rag at the tap, greeted her. "Welcome back. Looks like our Hae-ju studied hard again today."

The woman's oblivious face was full of warmth.

"How's Auntie?"

"She said she's tired again and went to bed early. Oh! Seok-eon's here too? No evening training today?"

Startled, Hae-ju turned her head to see Seok-eon bending his tall frame through the gate. She hadn't heard his footsteps—he must have followed her. Without answering Jin-suk, Seok-eon gave a slight nod and went into his room across the yard.

"Hey, Hae-ju."

After Seok-eon closed the door, Jin-suk suddenly lowered her voice and pulled Hae-ju aside.

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