"Eun-woo oppa… You don't understand. Ever since I left school… for over a year, there hasn't been a day I haven't thought about you. Really. Especially late at night…" (One can only imagine the rest.)
In the face of Eun-woo's icy question, Jeong Yuna didn't answer. Instead, she adopted a deeply wronged expression, her eyes glistening with manufactured tears as she spoke words wholly unsuitable for polite company.
Her monologue was so nauseating that Eun-woo felt his stomach churn. Midway through, Yuna even demurely covered her face as if overcome by shyness.
But she wasn't finished. Under Eun-woo's stunned gaze, she pressed on.
"Eun-woo oppa, I know you might… dislike me. But I don't ask for much. You can have a girlfriend. As long as you're willing… I can be yours."
As she spoke, she suddenly reached out and pointed to a small, daisy-shaped pin on her blouse, her face flushing. "Oh, and… this blouse is new, too."
Having said that, she covered her face again and gave a little stomp of her foot. Only she knew the true, calculating thoughts behind the act.
Eun-woo was utterly speechless. Holy crap. Is there no limit to this woman's shamelessness?
A wicked, dangerous smile slowly curled on his lips. He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned slowly toward the passenger seat.
Seeing this, wild triumph surged in Yuna's heart. So what if you're rich now? You're still just a man. A horny, inexperienced boy. I'm not the naive schoolgirl anymore. A few cheap tricks and you'll be eating out of my hand.
As he drew closer, Yuna's heart raced with victory, but her face remained a mask of shy anticipation. She peeked at him through her fingers and cooed, "Omo… It's been over a year, oppa. You've become so bold! There are so many people watching… and there's a dashcam. How about… we find a motel?"
Eun-woo's wicked smile widened. "No need for a motel. I think right here is just fine."
He reached past her.
Click.
The sound of the door lock disengaging.
The onlookers outside saw the passenger door of the Range Rover swing open from the inside.
Eun-woo's next word was flat, final, and utterly devoid of warmth.
"Out."
In the next moment, a firm shove sent Jeong Yuna tumbling unceremoniously from the luxury SUV's cabin onto the cold asphalt of the parking lot. She sat there, dazed, processing the sudden, humiliating ejection.
Looking back at her, Eun-woo gave a dismissive flick of his wrist. "Don't dirty my car with your act again. It's pathetic."
He slammed the passenger door shut, fastened his own seatbelt, and pressed the accelerator. The black Range Rover pulled away with a low growl, leaving Yuna sitting on the ground.
Finally, the humiliation caught up with her. Scrambling to her feet, she began shrieking curses at the retreating vehicle, her voice cracking with rage and spite.
---
Having escaped the farce, Eun-woo drove out of the Driver's License Agency and straight to a premium car detailing center.
"A full interior and exterior detail, please. And use disinfectant wipes on the entire passenger side. Thoroughly."
...
With his car restored to a state of pristine cleanliness, Eun-woo drove toward home. He couldn't reveal the system, but improving his family's living conditions was now a tangible, urgent goal. He had a story ready for the car and a plan to surprise his parents that evening.
His family lived in an older villa (a low-rise multi-unit dwelling), not a high-rise apartment with underground parking. He found an empty spot in the shared lot near his building and had just stepped out when a faded black Audi A6 pulled into the space opposite.
Cars came and went; Eun-woo paid it no mind. He was about to hit the lock on his key fob when a woman's voice, saccharine and false, rang out from the other car.
"Omo! If it isn't Mi-kyung's son! Shouldn't you be in school? I heard from your eomma the Suneung is right around the corner. How are your grades? Not bad, I hope? No trouble getting into Seoul National University or KAIST, right?"
Eun-woo turned. It was Yoo Mi-kyung, his mother's insufferable colleague, stepping out of the Audi's passenger seat.
If even her husband, Joo Dae-sik, knew Eun-woo was perpetually at the bottom of his class, there was no way she was unaware. Asking if he could get into the nation's top universities wasn't curiosity; it was a blatant, condescending jab.
Eun-woo felt a wave of exhaustion. Why are these people so relentless? Her husband had just lost his job because of him yesterday, and here she was, picking at the same wound.
Just then, the driver's door opened, and out stepped the very man in question: Joo Dae-sik. The moment he saw Eun-woo, acute discomfort flashed across his face.
Hearing his wife, Dae-sik hurriedly cut in, "Ya, enough chatter. Come help me with the groceries." His tone was strained. He clearly wanted nothing to do with Eun-woo. Yesterday's humiliation was still raw, and the sight of the boy triggered a visceral unease. He was also terrified Eun-woo might blurt out what happened at Myeongbo.
But his wife was on a roll. Instead of turning back, she put on a displeased pout. "What's the rush? Eun-woo is about to take his university exams. I'm just offering some guidance." She turned her fake smile back to Eun-woo. "Oh, that's right! Yeobo, didn't you say your company was hiring interns? Once Eun-woo finishes his exams, he could work there for the summer. We're neighbors, after all. We should help where we can."
She beamed at Eun-woo again. "Aigoo, my memory. I almost forgot to mention! Your Uncle Joo here got a big promotion. He's the Director at his company now. A summer internship there would be such good experience for you, don't you think?"
Behind her, Joo Dae-sik felt his face burn as if slapped. He wanted the ground to swallow him whole. Bragging about my job to him? He desperately wanted to scream at his wife that he had no job—that he'd been fired yesterday—and that this very boy was the reason.
"What nonsense are you talking about?!" he finally hissed through gritted teeth, his voice tight with panic and shame. "Just get the bags!"
[To be continued…]