Wife Swap - Chapter 9

Young Hwa entered the house, rubbing her stiff neck.

She thought that any job becomes easier with familiarity.

At first, she carefully examined even a single piece of fabric, but now she could assess its condition with just a quick glance.

She could feel the type and blend of fabrics with her fingertips. She wondered if it was similar to how blind people develop heightened sense of touch.

As a result, Young Hwa was able to finish work and leave much earlier than she had initially expected.

Since Young Hwa was not one to do her work carelessly, there were many days at first when she stayed until the last train.

Everything was about technique, and as time passed, she became able to easily handle even seemingly endless tasks.

Of course, becoming familiar with this was not the job she wanted to do.

She wore unfinished clothes that needed copying and modifications, found fabrics people needed, and organized samples.

Perhaps, as Sun Woo had said, she might be someone’s ‘apprentice’.

But did Sun Woo know the meaning of ‘sida’ when he used that word?

Long ago, they called the person who held the fabric for the machine operator in sewing factories a ‘sida’.

“That’s right.”

Young Hwa laughed softly without realizing it.

She thought that at least those people from the past were better off than she was now.

As time passed and with effort, opportunities came even for those who assisted from behind. They had some chances to touch the sewing machines.

But not for her. No matter how hard she tried, she, stuck in the role of ‘office assistant’, could not become a ‘designer’ like them.

There was an insurmountable wall between Young Hwa and them.

Even with ability and talent, Young Hwa was already on a different track from them. So they could not meet at the same destination.

That was reality.

“Haah.”

Young Hwa shook her head vigorously. Her long hair tied up in a ponytail swung in the opposite direction of her shaking head.

Shaking off useless thoughts, Young Hwa opened the front door to enter the house.

Perhaps because it was late, the house was quieter than usual.

Amidst the silence, only the whirring sound of a laptop could be heard from the study. It seemed Kang Seok was in the study.

Young Hwa, who wanted to avoid encountering Kang Seok if possible, passed by the study and went up to the second floor.

The usually dark corridor was lit up.

In Ha’s and her rooms were far apart from each other.

Unlike In Ha’s room located at the entrance of the corridor, Young Hwa’s room was at the very end.

It was a place where light didn’t reach except at high noon when the sun was up.

The lights are on even past In Ha’s room?

And it seemed Jae Hee and In Ha’s voices were coming from inside.

Young Hwa muffled her footsteps.

Could it be?

Her heart was pounding.

As she got closer to her room, their voices became clearer.

“Is it here?”

They seemed to be desperately searching for something. In Ha asked Jae Hee with a voice full of anxiety.

“No. It’s not here either.”

“Where the hell did that bitch hide it?”

You look so ridiculous.

I want to take a picture.

Young Hwa stopped outside the room, facing them.

“What are you looking for in my room?”

The two fell back on their bottoms, startled.

***

Looking at Jae Hee and In Ha who had messed up her room, Young Hwa recalled the day she first came to Kang Seok’s house.

The person who came to the university hospital room on the day of the accident was Kang Seok.

Kang Seok introduced himself to Young Hwa as a professor at the university Sang Hwa attended.

“So you’re Young Hwa?”

At that time, Kang Seok was no different from a savior to Young Hwa. Young Hwa had no money, and Sang Hwa was unconscious due to the accident.

Young Hwa clung to Kang Seok.

“Please. Please save my elder sister.”

Kang Seok said that Sang Hwa was also a very precious student to him. He said she was a person excellent in both ability and character.

He said it was a very unfortunate thing that such a person ended up like this.

So he said he would do his best to take care of Sang Hwa.

Young Hwa was grateful and grateful again to such a Kang Seok.

“You must have nowhere to stay right now. Let’s go to my house. I’ll take Sang Hwa’s place since she’s not here.”

There are such people in the world.

There really is no law saying you should die.

Young Hwa didn’t know at that time that her gratitude would become so bitterly resentful.

Jae Hee and In Ha, whom she met at Kang Seok’s house like that, were not friendly.

She thought it was natural.

Of course they would hate a rolling stone. She vowed to do better herself.

Just because she was born a few months earlier, she had to use the title of elder sister for In Ha. Of course, In Ha didn’t use the title of elder sister for Young Hwa.

She didn’t mind. She thought it wouldn’t be easy for her either to use the word elder sister for someone who suddenly appeared.

To look good, she showed smiles in front of Jae Hee while worrying about elder sister Sang Hwa.

Because they’re family.

Because they became family, she did her best to blend in.

It was about a month after that awkward and anxious time had passed.

There came a moment when the cold attitude of Jae Hee and In Ha changed.

“Young Hwa, are you home?”

On the table were warm rice, side dishes, and soup.

“Sit down. You must be hungry. Let’s have dinner.”

As Young Hwa sat down, In Ha also sat across from her.

“Elder sister, eat a lot. Mom made crab soup for you.”

Tears welled up.

Eat a lot.

A lot.

Her heart swelled as if she was sitting at the table with elder sister Sang Hwa.

“Yes. I’ll eat well.”

She met In Ha’s eyes across from her.

“In Ha, you eat a lot too.”

She wondered if this new family might be a gift from elder sister Sang Hwa.

Of course, it couldn’t be the same as Sang Hwa.

A few more weeks passed like that. It was around the time she thought waking up every morning was no longer scary.

“Young Hwa, can you sit down for a moment?”

“Yes?”

It was just before graduating middle school. The art high school she would enter was already decided. The newly made school uniform had arrived at home the day before.

“Um. About your school.”

Jae Hee took a sip of water to wet her throat.

“What about the school?”

Young Hwa was not unaware that art high schools are more expensive than regular academic high schools.

But she had already gotten permission from Kang Seok. He had said not to worry about anything and just study hard.

“How about you enter school next year?”

Incomprehensible words came out of Jae Hee’s mouth.

“What? …What do you mean?”

Jae Hee clicked her tongue and smacked her lips.

“In Ha, you see. She originally has talent in drawing. But she doesn’t study.”

Why are you telling me this?

“I’ve already talked to the school. You can take the test again next year and enter, that’s enough, right?”

“…So?”

It was a switch.

In Ha was seamlessly switched to enter in Young Hwa’s place.

In an instant.

As if it were only natural.

That day, In Ha wore the art high school uniform in front of the family and twirled around as if doing a fashion show.

Jae Hee and Kang Seok smiled contentedly and congratulated In Ha.

“Come on, Young Hwa. In Ha is your younger sister. You can do that much for your sister. We’re family, right?”

Young Hwa couldn’t enter high school the following year either.

In Ha had no talent not only in studying but also in drawing.

Instead, Young Hwa drew pictures for In Ha.

Since they said award records were needed to go to university, Young Hwa did that instead too.

In Ha just wore pretty school uniforms and went to and from school.

“Mother, this year can I also enter…”

It was around the time In Ha was about to become a high school senior.

“If you enter? What if it gets out that In Ha won awards with your drawings?”

By that time, it had become blatant.

“Do you know how much your elder sister’s hospital bills cost? Have some shame. We feed you, give you a place to sleep, and even pay hospital bills. Aish. Really, just looking at you makes me sick to my stomach.”

She couldn’t say anything.

She could only think of Sang Hwa’s face, just barely breathing.

“Get out of the way! In Ha is a high school senior. She needs to prepare to make sure her grades are good so she can go to university.”

Right. What’s so important about studying.

It’s something you can do anytime.

Her lips were dry, and her insides were burning.

She missed Sang Hwa.

“Your elder sister will make sure you study no matter what. You have to go to the school you want to go to?”

You said you’d make me study.

You said to go to the school I want.

Elder sister.

Liar.

I hate you.

So keep your promise.

I won’t hate you when you wake up. So get up and send me to school.

Okay?

Recalling those times, Young Hwa bit her lip hard and entered the room.

The books on the desk were all pulled out, and clothes from the closet were strewn on the floor.

“What are you doing?”

In Ha stood up and glared at Young Hwa with a vicious face.

“So you’re stealing now too?”

“What did you say?”

In Ha’s lips twisted upward.

The absurd words were so brazen they almost seemed true.

Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me

One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.

Synopsis:

Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.

But this is still far from enough.

He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.

_____

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