Even If It’s Not Love

Yi-woon’s appearance was very different from Beom-sik’s.
To the point she doubted if he really was his son.
Their voices and actions were all different.

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Nevertheless, Beom-sik overlapped Yi-woon’s face once in a while.
She had nightmares once every three times Yi-woon visited her.
In her nightmare, Beom-sik strangled her, killed her mother, and in the end, she slowly died with her eyes wide open.

On the days she woke up sweating so much that her bedding was soaked, she felt like she was sitting in a grave, even if she was greeting the morning.

She didn’t feel alive even though she was.

Even after a long time passed, Yi-woon didn’t answer.
Wondering if Yi-woon didn’t hear her, Yoo-hwa looked up and froze.

Yi-woon was staring at her with dead eyes.

“Noona… Didn’t you like me?”

A strange voice flowed out from his crooked lips.

“…”

She couldn’t say that she liked him, even if it was a lie.
The only emotions she felt towards Yi-woon were compassion, sadness, and empathy as a person who went through the same thing.

Yi-woon’s lips trembled.

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“So… you didn’t really like me, did you?”

“…”

“Why won’t you answer me!”

Suddenly, Yi-woon screamed.
As Yoo-hwa was startled and flinched, Yi-woon quickly changed into a look of confusion.

“Were you startled? Did I startle you?”

“… Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.
And I didn’t.”

“…”

“I felt sorry for you, and I hoped you would do well, but… I didn’t like you.”

Yoo-hwa said, as if she would give him an answer if he needed it.
Yoo-hwa made up her mind because she felt that if she didn’t answer this question, Yi-woon would continue to misunderstand.

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Yi-woon’s expression cracked.
Then, the wound sank into a deep place, leaving only a blank look on his face.

“So right now, when you see me, you only think about those fucking days?”

“Yi-woon.
Don’t say that… Haa.”

“…”

Yi-woon raised an eyebrow, as if telling her to say something.

“… I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I tried to accept you as family no matter what… but I couldn’t.”

“…”

Yoo-hwa’s face became miserably distorted.

“When I see you, I feel like I am standing in the middle of that day when I barely escaped.”

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She went back to that terrible time when she desperately went back and forth between life and death.
Yoo-hwa covered her eyes with her hands.
She didn’t want to cry, but tears quickly fell to the floor.

“What are you talking about?”

Yi-woon asked in a voice lower than before.
Feeling uneasy, Yoo-hwa slowly raised her head.
Yi-woon’s expression was distorted.

“Family? How can you and I be family? We don’t share a single drop of blood… Your mother and that bastard didn’t even register their marriage.”

“…”

There was a peculiar sound, and the flow of the conversation changed.
Yoo-hwa’s gaze alternately looked at Yi-woon.
When she gave him a glance asking what was the reason for his actions and the kindness he had shown so far, Yi-woon tilted his head and replied.

“What if you and I registered our marriage?”

“…”

Yoo-hwa’s shoulders drooped.
She faltered in her seat.
Only after touching the floor with her hands was she able to sit there.
Her eyes widened at the unexpected words.
Yoo-hwa tried to say something while swallowing dry, but it was difficult.

Was this what he meant with ‘like’?

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Then… Yi-woon didn’t mean to like him as a family member from the beginning, but as a woman…

As she reached her last thought, she felt dizzy, and a low groan escaped her mouth.

“… Give it another thought.
I’ll come again.”

Saying those words, Yi-woon left without hesitation.

After that, Yi-woon appeared everywhere, unexpectedly.
She had to go to the police station once every two times Yi-woon appeared.
Since then, Yi-woon couldn’t stand the presence of a man by Yoo-hwa’s side, like a madman.

While going in the same direction as a colleague and walking together, Yi-woon suddenly appeared and started violently punching the colleague in the face.

It was the same if she made eye contact for a long time with a male part-time worker at a convenience store or a mart, or if they exchanged small conversations as she was a regular.

“You’ll run away otherwise.
You will hide.”

Yi-woon stood there for a long time, shocked to hear Yoo-hwa screaming as if she had had enough.
After that, he did not cause trouble.

But that didn’t last long either.
Yoo-hwa was told that the man who confessed to her at her new job was attacked by a gangster the following day and had been hospitalized.

He became more cruel and vicious, she just didn’t see him.
That was even more scary and disgusting.