Ch-4

After finishing her shift at the restaurant, Ha Eun returned home, tired from the long hours of work. She boarded the bus, still facing a long walk ahead of her before she could finally reach her house. As she made her way down the dimly lit alley, the streetlights flickered, casting an eerie glow on the quiet surroundings. The sight made Ha Eun chuckle to herself, an ironic smile tugging at her lips. She couldn't help but feel that her life was much like those flickering streetlights—unstable, uncertain, on the verge of falling apart at any moment.

As she walked down the almost empty street, the feeling of solitude seemed to settle around her. She couldn't stop her thoughts from drifting to recent events. Everything seemed to be the same as it had always been, except for the presence of two new faces: Jun Woo and Ji Ho. While she had no complaints about Jun Woo's company—his presence was a calming and reassuring one—Ji Ho's presence unsettled her. The memory of what she had seen on the rooftop still lingered in her mind, and she couldn't shake the discomfort it caused her. The last thing she needed was unnecessary drama or complications in her already complicated life.

Finally, she reached home. She pushed open the door and, immediately, the sounds of chatter filled the air, drawing her attention. She slipped off her shoes and neatly placed them on the shoe rack before stepping inside. The scene before her was almost picture-perfect—a happy family gathered around the dinner table, sharing a meal. Her stepfather, her mother and her sisters eating together. To any outsider, it would have appeared like a harmonious and loving family. But Ha Eun knew better. This wasn't always how things were. Not when her stepfather was drunk.

As soon as her mother noticed her standing at the door, she smiled and called her over. "Ha Eun, you're home! Go wash your hands and sit down. Your father bought some meat today, and we made galbijim." Ha Eun hesitated but replied softly, "I already ate."

Her mother, however, insisted, "Nonsense! There's plenty of food left. We saved your share. Just have a bite."

With a sigh, Ha Eun relented, sitting next to her mother at the table. Her mother quickly filled her bowl with rice and topped it off with a generous portion of galbijim. Her stepfather, ever eager to please, added even more meat to her plate. Ha Eun quietly ate, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

During the meal, her mother asked, "Did you pick up another part-time job?"

"Yes," Ha Eun answered, her tone neutral.

Her stepfather, sensing the tension in the air, chimed in, "You really don't have to work so hard, you know. I'll figure out a way to cover your university expenses."

Ha Eun simply nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know."

The dinner ended soon after, and Ha Eun helped clean up. As she put the dishes in the sink, her mother spoke again, her voice soft but laced with concern. "You really don't need to work so much. I'm proud of you, of course, but sometimes I just wish you could relax and enjoy life like other kids your age. Make friends, have fun."

Ha Eun didn't respond, merely continuing her task. There was nothing more to say. Once the dishes were cleared away, she retreated to her room. The moment she closed the door behind her, the quietness enveloped her, providing a rare moment of solitude.

She sat at her desk, the chair creaking as she pulled it out. The soft glow of her study lamp cast shadows on the pages of her biology textbook, which she absentmindedly traced with her thumb. Her face reflected a deep sense of thought and reflection. For a moment, she allowed herself to remember the past. She had once believed in her stepfather—when she was younger, she trusted him completely. He had promised to buy her anything she needed, and for a time, he did try.

But as she grew older, Ha Eun realized the harsh truth. It was better to rely on herself. Despite his shortcomings—his drinking problem, his constant quarrels, and his volatile nature—she couldn't bring herself to hate him. She knew that, in his own way, he had tried. He worked hard to put food on the table, even if his drinking sometimes drained all of his pay.

When Ha Eun was little, she had truly believed he was her father. She recalled the day her mother introduced him to her when she was just four years old. She had called him "Father" instead of "Uncle" without thinking, and, to her surprise, he had stepped into that role without hesitation. He had been a father figure to her for as long as she could remember.

She also knew the struggles he had faced. After the company he worked for went bankrupt, he had to take up physical labor at a construction site, a job far more grueling than anything he had done before. But he persevered, working hard to provide for their family. Even though his efforts often went unnoticed or unappreciated, Ha Eun couldn't bring herself to truly resent him. Yet, the late-night arguments, the drunken rages, and the instability that haunted their home left a bitter taste.

Her feelings toward her stepfather were complicated—torn between the gratitude for his hard work and the frustration over his failures. It was a delicate balance she couldn't quite figure out. She knew he tried, but she also knew it wasn't enough to erase the hurt and disappointment.

...

Ha Eun sat at her desk, her attention absorbed by the pages of her book. The quiet hum of the classroom around her made her feel calm, until a sudden knock on her desk broke her concentration. She slowly lifted her gaze, only to meet the sharp, condescending eyes of Park Chaewon, standing before her with an air of superiority. Behind Chaewon was one of her usual followers, standing quietly but clearly there to back her up. Ha Eun immediately felt an unsettling knot form in her stomach—she could already sense this wouldn't be a friendly conversation.

Park Chaewon stared at her for a moment, her eyes sizing Ha Eun up with a look that spoke volumes of judgment. Breaking the silence, she asked, her tone cool and deliberate, "Do you know Choi Ji Ho?"

Ha Eun had anticipated this moment. She had a feeling that Chaewon's interest had something to do with Ji Ho, and now she was certain. She kept her response as neutral as possible, her voice calm as she replied, "No, I don't know him."

Park Chaewon studied her carefully, her gaze unwavering. There was a brief silence as she processed Ha Eun's answer, her eyes flickering with a hint of skepticism. After a moment, Chaewon broke the silence, her lips curling into a faint smirk. "You better be telling the truth," she warned, her voice laced with subtle menace. "And you'd better keep it that way."

With that, she turned on her heel, her minion following closely behind her. As they walked away, Ha Eun could hear Chaewon's minion muttering under her breath, "I told you, there's no way Ji Ho would ever be interested in someone like her. She's so plain."

Ha Eun stayed perfectly still, refusing to let their words bother her. The truth was, she didn't know Choi Ji Ho in any meaningful way. They shared the same space in the classroom, but their interactions were minimal, nothing more than casual glances exchanged in passing. She had no reason to lie about it, yet she couldn't help but wonder why Chaewon had taken such an interest in her—especially when it was clear Chaewon had no regard for her worth.

As Ha Eun returned her attention to her book, she let out a quiet sigh, trying to shake off the lingering tension from the encounter. She knew that, in Chaewon's world, she was nothing more than an insignificant presence. But in Ha Eun's world, that was perfectly fine.

After the uncomfortable encounter with Chaewon, Ha Eun found herself caught in a moment of indecision during the break. She thought about heading to the usual spot, the quiet corner where she often went to escape the noise of the school, but Chaewon's words echoed in her mind. Could anyone have followed her there? Did they know about that space? But after some deliberation, she shrugged off the thoughts and decided to go anyway. Chaewon, and everyone else, had no idea about this hidden spot—after all, it was her personal space, one she had found after days of wandering through the school grounds. It was unlikely that anyone would find her here.

With her books clutched in her hands, Ha Eun made her way toward the familiar hedge that marked the boundary of her secluded nook. As she passed it, she spotted the figure that had become a silent, almost constant presence in this area: Choi Ji Ho. As usual, he was lying against the trunk of a nearby tree, his eyes closed, completely unaware—or seemingly unaware—of the world around him. Ha Eun paused for a brief moment, observing him as he slept in a position that seemed almost too comfortable for someone who had just come from class. He wasn't the type to be easily seen in school, and Ha Eun had never understood why he spent his breaks here, away from the crowds.

She couldn't help but wonder, as she continued on her way to the bench, why Ji Ho even bothered coming to school at all. It was becoming increasingly clear that he hardly ever attended class. In fact, he often skipped lessons, choosing instead to spend his time napping or wandering the grounds, detached from the daily grind of school life. Ha Eun herself had never been one to care about others' choices, especially when it came to students like Ji Ho—those who seemed to live by their own rules, completely untouched by the expectations of the school. But it made her curious, if only for a second, about the lifestyle of someone like him. Was it some kind of rich kid quirk? She dismissed the thought quickly, figuring it was none of her business anyway. She had enough to focus on with her own studies.

Taking a seat, Ha Eun spread out her books on the bench and immersed herself in her work, her mind intent on the pages in front of her. The world around her seemed to fade as she lost herself in the notes, the equations, the words—anything that could take her mind off the earlier interaction with Chaewon. But amidst the silence, something began to shift.

What she hadn't noticed was that while her attention was fixated on her studies, the stillness next to the tree had changed. The figure of Ji Ho, previously lying with his eyes closed, had moved.