Chapter 603: Freshman 1st Semester(6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 603: Freshman 1st Semester(6)
“Are you Oh Yun-ji?”
It wasn’t simply because he was someone she had only seen on TV.
It wasn’t even because he was a man with whom there was an insurmountable gap in status.
Oh Yun-ji had always been confident, and that confidence was never swayed by others. No matter who she faced, she possessed a deep-seated conviction and self-assurance.
And that was one of the reasons Kim Woo-jin had fallen for a woman like her.
But now.
All of that felt meaningless.
It wasn’t that she felt small. It wasn’t that she was being crushed by his aura.
Oh Yun-ji stood right where she was, but he...
He was like a giant.
Naturally, she couldn't help but look small in comparison.
His slow footsteps carried a weight proportional to his stature. Oh Yun-ji didn't just feel pushed back by his presence; she felt utterly suppressed.
“Yes, that’s right. I am Oh Yun-ji.”
“Hmm.”
When she answered, Chairman Kim’s eyes took on a deep, intense hue, as if he were appraising her value.
Everything was sudden and rude, yet for the man standing before her, every action seemed calculated to save his precious time.
His evaluation was swift and cold.
“I see why my son lost his heart to you.”
“...!”
With those words alone, Oh Yun-ji could grasp the nature of the relationship between Kim Woo-jin and the Chairman of Uju Group.
Kim Woo-jin had never mentioned his family, no matter what. Oh Yun-ji, too, hadn't wanted to reveal her own family history, so she had avoided the topic entirely.
‘Ah...’
The difference was like heaven and earth.
Literally, the sky and the ground.
Unlike her, who had a murderer for a father, Kim Woo-jin had the Chairman of Uju Group standing behind him.
The extreme disparity made her feel slightly dizzy, as if she were suffering from vertigo, but Oh Yun-ji struggled to catch her breath and steady her mind.
“You seem wise.”
“Ah, that is—”
“Then you must know exactly what I am about to say.”
“...!”
“I won’t go out of my way to dig up old wounds. So—”
Break up with him.
Oh Yun-ji thought at that moment that even being struck by lightning would have felt less sudden.
The man spoke those words and turned away. It was as if the thought of her refusing or arguing never even crossed his mind.
In truth, Oh Yun-ji felt the same. Normally, she would have just stared blankly as Chairman Kim walked away and followed his command.
“I don’t want to.”
Her tightly clenched fists represented her determination not to let go of her happiness.
She had lived through years of hardship and pain. She had fought against poverty and struggled with her family while pretending to smile in front of her friends.
Things were still hard now.
But even so, there was someone who made her smile more happily than anything else.
“I absolutely... refuse.”
At Yun-ji’s bold response, Chairman Kim stopped his footsteps, which had seemed like they would never halt.
He turned to look at her and asked, “Is it money you need?”
“No. I only just found out that Woo-jin was your son.”
“Sigh.”
It would have been easier if it were money.
A sigh carrying that sentiment escaped him. Chairman Kim’s gaze grew sharp.
Even an old tiger was still a tiger.
“Do not make me speak of your father.”
“...!”
“You’re a smart girl, so you must know. Get a grip. I am not simply interfering in Woo-jin’s love life.”
Indeed, the reason Chairman Kim had moved personally wasn't just to give advice on his son’s romance.
“I have come to protect the company.”
“...!”
Uju Group.
Furthermore, the employees who worked there. And even their families.
Bringing the daughter of a murderer into the family would already cause immense harm to Uju Group.
“E-even so—”
She knew. Her head knew she had to accept it.
“I said... I don’t want to.”
Tears welled up, and her voice grew thick. She forced out her feelings of denial.
“He’s... he’s my boyfriend.”
Though her voice sounded like a pathetic whine, it was her sincere truth.
She sobbed sorrowfully. Chairman Kim simply watched her cry in silence.
As if telling her to cry it all out.
As if telling her to shake it off and leave.
That was the pressure Chairman Kim exerted.
Wiping her tears with her sleeve, Oh Yun-ji caught her breath.
“Please give me just one chance.”
“....”
In the midst of her tears, what Oh Yun-ji had found wasn't the resolve to give up.
It was the determination to win.
“I will... become someone who can take responsibility for Woo-jin.”
“And what will you do with that?”
“After that—”
She faltered. Even though she knew how cruel a choice she was demanding.
Oh Yun-ji caught her breath and spat it out. Because this was the only way.
“Let Woo-jin choose. Whether he stays with me, or follows your choice.”
“You choose a cruel method.”
Family or lover.
Oh Yun-ji’s statement that she would make him choose between the two was cruel, just as the Chairman said.
But Oh Yun-ji didn't intend to do it blindly.
‘First, let’s buy some time.’
Buy time in any way possible and find a way to respond.
To that determination, Chairman Kim added a condition.
“I will accept, but in exchange, do not meet Woo-jin during that time.”
“...!”
“Starting now.”
“R-right now?!”
“Why? Can you not do it?”
Grit.
Biting her lip, Oh Yun-ji steadied her breathing. Then, she nodded and replied.
“Please let me write... just one letter. If I just disappear... he’ll think I abandoned him.”
To that, Chairman Kim didn't give a direct answer, only nodding his head.
“You still don’t know that boy very well.”
He left behind those cryptic words.
* * *
Oh Yun-ji’s studio apartment.
Staring blankly at her room, Oh Yun-ji glanced at the man Chairman Kim had attached to her as a secretary.
“What if Woo-jin comes to my house?”
“The moment that happens, the bet is over. That is why the Chairman said he would separately cover the costs of moving or the expenses incurred while taking a leave of absence.”
“....”
“He will put a price on your time.”
The secretary declared calmly. Watching him, Oh Yun-ji struggled to hide her boiling emotions.
‘Are all rich people like this?’
Out of spite, Oh Yun-ji vowed to move to a place much more expensive than this.
The secretary handed back the phone he had taken earlier.
“The phone has been factory reset.”
“....”
“I should tell you in advance, we haven't blocked Young Master Kim Woo-jin’s number.”
“So I can pick up if he calls?”
The secretary nodded. Because the moment she did, the bet would end. It was like putting a fish in front of a cat and telling it not to eat.
“Then give me a new phone too.”
“Understood.”
“....”
So even these kinds of demands were accepted.
‘I’ll use my original phone later...’
When she returned.
With that vow, Oh Yun-ji turned off the phone.
“I’ll come out after writing the letter, so wait here.”
“Understood.”
Entering her apartment, the familiar space made Oh Yun-ji feel like she was returning to reality.
However, her situation was anything but realistic; she was facing a change that was far too sudden.
“Get... get a grip, Oh Yun-ji.”
Whether she liked it or not.
Hadn't she been born with rather unique blood? No, she hated it, but regardless.
It was clear she had a different sensibility than normal people. After all, her father was a serial killer.
“Let’s focus... I can do this. I will come back.”
Some might say:
It was only one semester. Don't risk your life over someone you only dated for a short while.
To those people, Oh Yun-ji was confident she could calmly flip them the middle finger.
It was only the first semester, but they had loved that passionately, and she had enjoyed a happiness she had never experienced in her life.
The label of ‘poverty’ had always followed Oh Yun-ji like a shadow.
‘I thought poverty was the cause of my misery. I thought the reason I wasn't happy was because I didn't have money.’
Poverty was still behind her, but if asked if she was unhappy now, the answer was no.
She was happy. She was happy even though she was poor.
That was the time she spent with Kim Woo-jin. The time when her values changed.
She picked up a pen and opened a notebook. She wanted to use pretty stationery, but unfortunately, there was none in the house.
Even if it was a temporary parting, it was still a parting.
Perhaps that was why.
What touched the notebook before the pen tip were her teardrops.
“Sob, ugh.”
Sobs escaped her. Her handwriting was crooked because of her trembling hands, and the paper was smudged by tears, forcing her to rewrite it several times.
— My beloved Woo-jin.
— I’m sorry for leaving so suddenly without a word.
— But I want you to know it’s so that we can love each other for a long time.
“Ugh, hic!”
— Your father sent someone. I guess he didn't like us dating because my father is a violent criminal.
— I understand. If you married a woman like me, the company’s image would take a huge hit. He probably doesn't want to create a weakness.
I didn't want to tell you about my family this way.
I wanted to confess after... hardening my heart a bit more.
— But your father promised. If I become someone who can take responsibility for you... he’ll give me another chance.
— So I’m going to try and make some money. I’m going to start a company. It’ll start small, but I’ll work hard.
— So I will definitely become a woman who is worthy of you.
“Waaaaah!”
— I’m sorry, Woo-jin.
— I’m so sorry for leaving you like this.
“Hic! I don’t... want to go...”
— But.
— I will definitely come back.
“I don’t want to go...!”
— Without fail.
— I will return to you.
“Ugh, waaaaaah!”
— Wait for me, my husband?
* * *
“—ji-ya.”
“....”
“Yun—ji-ya.”
“....”
“Yun-ji?!”
“Huh? Oh, yeah?!”
Oh Yun-ji hurriedly nodded her head as if waking from a dream. The cold sensation of the beer in her hand brought her back to reality.
“What are you thinking about?”
Choi I-seo, sitting next to her, asked worriedly at Oh Yun-ji’s sudden daze.
“Huh? Um...”
Oh Yun-ji looked around in a daze.
“Gaaaaah! Woo-jinaaaa! When is reserve forces training gonna end?!”
“When is this bastard coming back?! Does reserve forces training last a whole week or something?!”
Seo Ye-rin and Yoo Ah-rin were grumbling.
“...Should we order one more?”
“You wanna die?”
Choi Jin-ah suggested more chicken, and Min Ju-hee raised her fist.
“Ah...”
This was her daily life now.
A peaceful daily life that was damn funny and damn ridiculous.
“Are you okay?”
Because of previous incidents, Choi I-seo was worried about Oh Yun-ji.
“Ah, yeah. I was just thinking about the old days.”
When she snapped out of it and answered, Seo Ye-rin and Yoo Ah-rin immediately pointed at her and asked.
“Hey! Oh Yun-ji! What happened after that?! After you had sex with Woo-jini!”
“You guys started dating, right?! What did you do next?! You guys skipped so many department schedules to go play around!”
At the two women’s questions, Oh Yun-ji took a large gulp of her cold beer.
“Phew! After that—?”
She answered with a bright smile.
“They say they’re living fucking happily ever after!”
