Chapter 34.1

– No. It’s still not enough. I really don’t think I can do it if I don’t have you.

She felt like she was talking to a wall. Yoo-hwa brought her hand to her forehead.

“The gangsters came to see me. They said I was in debt. Pay it back.”

She thought it would be pointless to have the same conversation, so she changed the topic.

– Leave with me. Then I’ll take care of it.

However, Yi-woon didn’t seem to have any intention of ending it.

“… Are you still saying that? I’m not leaving. Never.”

– Why are you suddenly more determined than before? Why are you saying that you can’t die? Is it because you slept with that bastard? Did you like it? Fuck, you’re like this because you liked it! Why can that bastard do it and I can’t? Have you ever done it with me? I could do even better!

“I didn’t like him because of that!”

– What? Like? Ah, you like him? You rolled around and even came to like him? Do you know what kind of bastard he is? That bastard! He’s the older brother of the woman who was carrying my child!

At those words, she heard a ringing in her ears.

– He’s that bitch Sin Eun-soo’s brother! Why do you think he went to you? Coincidence? Fuck. Do you believe in coincidence? Do you believe in coincidence, after experiencing Kim Beom-sik? Have you ever seen a bunch of crazy bastards bump into each other like a coincidence?

“…”

– You’ve been living like this all this time, and you’re still deceived like that? You idiot!

Her mouth opened and closed. Her fingertips seemed to have been cut at his words. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have felt like blood was leaking from her fingers. She was staring blankly ahead, but it felt like the floor she was standing on had completely disappeared.

From hell to hell. She felt like she was continuously falling into an endless hole.

Oh, so that’s what it was.

The corners of her mouth turned upwards in self-scorn, and then quickly turned downwards.

She knew it by noticing it to some extent. Woo-hyun came to her with some intention. She knew that there was no such thing as a coincidence when it came to her. Even if there was, it would have to be something that would break like a thread.

However, she just hoped that… it wouldn’t be something that ill-fated.

But as always, her life was cruel.

Yoo-hwa’s fingertips, grabbing the phone as if it were her lifeline, turned white.

“… If you’re not taking care of it, I’m hanging up.”

Yoo-hwa hung up the call, barely holding back the feeling of suffocation.

That was her last call with Yi-woon.

Her mind was blank as she finished thinking about the last call, as if a fog had filled her head. A section of her tied hair came loose at the blowing wind and covered her eyes.

Following the wind, she could see shoes walking up the gradual uphill path that she did not want to see. She knew that the man’s striding steps would lead to her, but Yoo-hwa, whose legs had lost their strength, could not move.

She had to avoid him… But at the same time, she wondered why she had to avoid him. She was always avoiding everyone. Couldn’t someone avoid her on their own this time?

But the man’s shoes stopped right in front of her.

As if their destination was right there.

Only then did Yoo-hwa’s head slowly turn upwards, following the polished shoes that were shining in the dark. It wasn’t until her head was tilted back as if she were looking at a high place that she could see the man’s face.

The cleanly-raised bangs, revealing his forehead, the clear features, the eyes that were glancing down, emitting a cold aura, and the high nose bridge.

Yoo-hwa looked at the familiar face that gave off an unfamiliar feeling and unconsciously let out a sigh. Until she heard the news of Yi-woon’s death, something that she had been barely keeping had fallen apart.

Sin Woo-hyun, who had come this far.

Sin Woo-hyun, who looked so different from before.

There was no way she didn’t know what this proved.

Feeling like she was falling somewhere into an abyss, Yoo-hwa slowly got up.

Woo-hyun’s face facing her was terribly stiff. A cold wind passed in-between their silence, and Yoo-hwa’s strengthless body swayed slightly. Yoo-hwa stared at Woo-hyun with an exhausted expression.

So this was the original Sin Woo-hyun. His real face that she always wondered about but didn’t want to know.

After breathing in the cold wind, Yoo-hwa slowly opened her mouth.

“… What are you doing here?”

Despite the question, there was no answer. Even if he didn’t answer, Yoo-hwa knew. Woo-hyun’s cold gaze staring at her was telling her everything.

Yoo-hwa breathed slowly on purpose. She wanted to buy some time like this, but it was useless.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t erase the fact that he had arrived at the scheduled time.

After taking a moment to breathe, Yoo-hwa said the words that had been prepared for a long time.

“… I’m sorry.”