Woo Sol pondered as he looked at Jin-ho and then Seol Ah.
"She's the Noona that I told you about a couple of days ago… I accidentally bumped into her, and she goes to your school," Woo Sol said. Jin-ho sighed heavily, turning to Seol Ah and lowering his head.
"I'm sorry for my cousin's rude behavior," Jin-ho said to Seol Ah. Her face turned sour, and she turned away.
"It's not like what he did was wrong," she mumbled. Then she kicked her lunchbox, forgetting that it was on the ground.
"Oh, Unnie, your food!" Po Lim claimed, running to grab it for her. Seol Ah snatched it, flushing with embarrassment.
"Let's go…" she demanded, avoiding looking at the boys. Grateful? To him? I will never!
Po Lim awkwardly nodded and followed her.
Seol Ah and Po Lim hurried out of there. Jin-ho watched Seol Ah sprinting down the hill, smiling. He softly chuckled. Woo Sol gasped, taking a step back.
"So reluctant…" Jin-ho said.
"Hyung… you're smiling because of a girl?" Woo Sol asked curiously. Jin-ho snapped and looked at Woo Sol, his brows furrowing.
"Go to school… you'll be late," Jin-ho demanded. Woo Sol pouted, frowning like a pitiful puppy.
"Okay…"
Soon, Seol Ah reached her school, heading to her desk.
"Did you hear that Jang Yu disappeared?"
"Daebak! How?"
"When the nurse returned to the office on the day Jang Yu was there, there was blood splattered everywhere on the bed… even the nurse's office was in chaos!"
The students whispered among each other. Seol Ah furrowed her brows, looking at them. When they saw Seol Ah, they gasped and covered their mouths in surprise.
"I heard that she may have to do with Jang Yu's disappearance…"
"No… the nurse said that she left before the chaos happened."
Their gazes pierced through Seol Ah as Seol Ah sat down. Jin-ho entered the classroom, sitting in his seat as he watched Seol Ah. Suddenly, Tia Jung stormed to Seol Ah's desk and smirked.
"So did you get rid of the pest?" she questioned harshly. Seol Ah looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I told you… she only means trouble. She's fake… you probably knew that after being suspicious about her," Tia Jung added. Then she laughed. "Maybe that's why she ran away, trying to pin everything on her so-called friend…"
"I didn't do anything to her… and why should I? She was my friend—"
"Was! But truthfully, you didn't trust her… because you finally saw the real her," Tia Jung stated.
Seol Ah clenched her fists on the table.
"Why is it your business to care? She may have left because she doesn't feel alright…" Seol Ah defended. Everyone gasped, looking at each other. Tia Jung scoffed.
"Alright? She's the reason why my sister had her hands broken…" Tia Jung argued, pressing her finger against Seol Ah's chest. "Be glad that you're still intact!"
Seol Ah pushed Tia Jung's entire hand away and stood.
"Then maybe you should have sued her if you had enough evidence! Why are you coming at me like I've done you wrong?" Seol Ah questioned.
Tia Jung tightened her jaw, taking a step back. Before she stomped away, she kicked Seol Ah's desk.
"So tough to be an adopted child…" she mocked.
Seol Ah fixed her desk and sat down, lowering her head. Where did you go, Jang Yu? What are you up to now? Seol Ah sighed heavily underneath her arms.
Meanwhile, away from cameras, away from prying eyes… Jang Yu. Distorted and injured.
"Why?! I didn't lie about anything to you, Si Yeon…" Jang Yu cried softly, clenching her fists. Then she panted. "Seol Ah… Jang Seol Ah! It's because of you! You fucken liar!"
She glared at the hollow path of the forest nearby Seol Ah's old house. Then she charged through and searched for more clues within the home. However, it was all empty. Or so… she thought.
A knock on the door suddenly. Jang Yu jumped, covering her mouth. A man… Seol Ah's older brother, who came from the States. Ryu Yeol (Leo).
"Omma! Are you here?" Ryu Yeol shouted.
Jang Yu's eyes widened.
"Seol Ah's brother?"
"Omma! Open up! I've heard what happened, come out!" he continued without realizing that no one was home but an intruder. Jang Yu smirked. Ryu Yeol frowned, scrubbing his hair as he turned away. "Aish! They're not even home."
"Hm… excuse me…?" Jang Yu said, opening the door a little. Ryu Yeol turned to her frantically. He gasped as he saw the bruises and scars on her body.
"Who…? Are you okay?"
"I thought my friend was home… because I got hurt by some strangers…" Jang Yu lied pitifully. Ryu Yeol swallowed.
"Get in the car. I'll take you to the nearest hospital!"
"No… I can't… they'll find me there, too!" Jang Yu cried.
Ryu Yeol frowned, waving his hand.
"Wait… who could find you in the hospital?" he paused. Then he thought carefully about what his father had warned him. Angrily. "Did that adopted girl have to do with any of this?!"
Jang Yu widened her eyes with restrained amusement.
"Was she really adopted?" Jang Yu asked. Ryu Yeol sighed heavily.
"It's a long story… she's obviously adopted. My mother brought her to our home one day…" Ryu Yeol responded with frustration.
While Ryu Yeol wanted to help Jang Yu, Jang Yu ran away back into the forest, hiding from prying eyes. Ryu Yeol then called Yu Young. Yu Young was in the new house, putting away her clothes. When she saw her phone light up, she grabbed it.
"Oh, Ryu Yeol!"
"Omma, where are you?! Are you and Po Lim okay?" Ryu Yeol questioned. Yu Young chuckled nervously and nodded.
"We are fine… don't worry—"
"When did you move out?! Why didn't you tell me?" Ryu Yeol demanded, starting his engine.
"Oh, I forgot!" Yu Young replied lightly.
"Omma, abandon Seol Ah! She only brings misfortune to us!"
Yu Young's hands froze in midair.
"Ryu Yeol… if you're just going to talk like that, then don't bother coming to visit," Yu Young stated coldly, then she hung up on him. She slammed her hands down. "Why are you still treating her like that? I didn't raise you to be so ungrateful!"
Yu Young groaned, continuing to unpack. While Ryu Yeol was in the car, he stopped the car on the side of the road and slammed his hand on the steering wheel.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck! Why do you love her so much?!" Ryu Yeol seethed. "Because of her, you filed for a divorce from Father! Because of her, you got attacked by those gangsters that Father warned us about!"
As the hours had passed and school was ending, Seol Ah walked down the street, knowing that Jin-ho was behind her. She stopped and turned around.
"Why are you going home when I'm heading home?" she asked. Jin-ho scratched his neck.
"I am?"
"Don't play dumb! You purposely wait for me to walk out of the school gate… I have noticed that you have been watching me ever since you transferred!" Seol Ah confronted, stomping toward him. Jin-ho stretched his lips.
"But—"
"What? Did I get it right? That you were spying on me all these times?"
"Seol Ah… " Jin-ho paused. "I just thought you were more interesting than other girls."
Seol Ah frowned, punching his shoulder back.
"Interesting?!" she repeated, hiding her blush. "You were the least interesting thing that happened this year. So stop bothering me!"
Then she walked away to her home, where Yu Young was. However, she jolted at the sight of a random car.
"Omma?!" Seol Ah worried, storming inside. Before she could reach the door—
"Omma, she's a-dopted! Why do you love her so much?" Ryu Yeol's voice roared. Seol Ah froze. Her heart dropped.
"Ryu Yeol ah! Don't talk to her like that!"
"Omma, please… just get rid of her! She's the reason why you're getting hurt! Just look at you! You're old, and she's not even your real daughter! Po Lim, Lim Ana, and me!" Ryu Yeol pointed at himself. "We are your real children! You brought her to the house in the middle of the night when I was four years old!"
Yu Young angrily slapped Ryu Yeol across the face.
"So what if she's adopted?! It's not like being adopted will kill you in any way!" Yu Young finally admitted.
Seol Ah dropped her backpack, a tear streaming down her face. Yu Young quickly turned to look and saw Seol Ah, gasping.
"Seol Ah…"
Before Yu Young could hug her, Seol Ah ran out of the house, away from the neighborhood. Her heart pounded. She covered her face as tears fell. Every step away from the house felt heavier, weighed down by her mother's tears and her brother's accusations. She wanted to scream, to fight, to disappear—all at once.
Jin-ho saw her walk by and stiffened, debating whether to follow her. When Yu Young ran to the front with tears on her face, Jin-ho dropped his backpack from slouching his arms. He turned and quickly followed after Seol Ah.