If Silk Flowers Bloom by the Water’s Edge Chapter 39

Yeonrye brought the news that Haenang classes would officially resume starting today. Lying down and eating a sweet persimmon, Chaehwa played a game of dangling her feet. Her grandmother was in a good mood and had completely lifted the cell phone restriction. Chairman Baek had sent a very hefty sum of money as a reward, so there was no empty space in Nanjubeol’s safe. The storehouses had been expanding every year due to rituals passed down from their ancestors, but Chaehwa was of the opinion that such vast assets were meaningless.

It wasn’t as if she was short on money, so there was no way Chaehwa would feel a renewed sense of pride just because her bank balance had increased. Being able to use her phone openly, being able to attend classes with the Haenangs again, regaining her grandmother’s trust, those intangible things were what held meaning for Chaehwa. She felt as secure in her achievements as a farmer who had finished the autumn harvest.

“Young Lady, I’ve finished your hair.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Chaehwa smiled gently as she caressed her braided hair in the mirror. As Yeonrye, who had gone to fetch the breakfast table, closed the door, Chaehwa took out the cell phone she had hidden under her skirt. She went into her recent messages and pressed ‘Kim Yirok.’ It was the first name registered in Chaehwa’s phonebook that wasn’t related to work.

Her phone, which had only contained call records with Secretary Yoon, was finally starting to have a human touch. She hummed a tune as she opened her message box, but there was no reply.

「Hey」

「Hey」

「Heyyyy」

「Reply! Reply!」

「You got the phone, right?」

「Heyyyyyyyya」

The sentences she had cried out alone until 1 AM the previous night were dotted throughout her message box. Annoyed, Chaehwa slammed her phone down on the floor.

“So you’re ignoring me.”

Yirok probably didn’t know. Her grandmother disliked things from the outside world and thought cell phones were just telephones, and the other Haenangs also kept their distance from them, saying they weren’t helpful for training. At best, Shinwoo had only been talking about buying a cell phone for years. But if her grandmother showed any sign of dislike, Shinwoo wouldn’t buy a phone. Ever. Chaehwa knew that Shinwoo was always mindful of the adults.

Therefore, Yirok was the first person to be registered in Chaehwa’s phone address book. Texting all night. How many sleepless nights had she spent thinking she would finally check that item off her bucket list? However, perhaps she had chosen the wrong person, because her attempt at exchanging texts was a massive failure. A read receipt but no reply.

As she was fervently cursing her heartless text buddy in her mind, a good idea struck. Seeing Yeonrye enter at that exact moment with a breakfast table in her arms, she felt a foxy tail sprout.

“Yeonrye.”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

“Um… what time does Teacher Myungil come to work?”

🌹₊ ⊹

The morning air was impeccably clean, and her light pink skirt was especially beautiful today. The pins in her hair sparkled under the sunlight, and she had chosen her favorite daenggi. Chaehwa shook her head at her perfect appearance from head to toe. The hearts of the young men will be strained again today. Taking off her flower shoes, she gracefully stepped into the hallway where the classroom was.

Yeonrye must have rushed off to deliver her instructions. Since she said she had also received Teacher Myungil’s confirmation, Chaehwa happily opened the door to the classroom where class was in session.

“Young Lady.”

“The Young Lady is here.”

“You don’t have to get up. I was a bit late because I wasn’t feeling well.”

Teacher Myungil, who had started writing a poem on the blackboard, tactfully bowed his head. The classroom was set up just as Chaehwa had described. With a satisfied smile, Chaehwa stepped in and scanned her surroundings.

The gazes on Chaehwa, who stood confidently despite being late for class, were not kind. Of course, this was limited to one person. The other Haenangs looked at the blackboard as if it were a familiar occurrence, but only one person was looking at her with his chin propped up crookedly.

The previous method of sitting around a large desk for class was fine, but it didn’t guarantee privacy. So she had requested they bring out the old desks and change the layout so they could sit in pairs. And the result was exactly as she had expected.

The seats next to Yirok, who had no social skills whatsoever, and Jangsi, who avoided people for unfortunate reasons, were empty. There was a reason Chaehwa had come late. She had her eye on one of the seats in the back row, reserved for the two of them.

Taking Teacher Myungil’s jewel-like lesson to heart, Chaehwa naturally took her seat. Ignoring Yirok, who had let out a long sigh from the moment she pulled out her chair, she slowly unpacked her bundle.

“Sit somewhere else.”

The reprimand she received before she could even take out her book hurt her feelings. But it wasn’t as if she hadn’t expected this level of cold treatment. Chaehwa opened her book and wagged her index finger in front of his eyes.

“I decide where I sit. If you have a problem with it, Yirok, you can leave.”

But there wouldn’t be any other seat for Yirok to go to. As if he knew that too, Yirok bit his lip and looked down, diligently reading his book. Chaehwa cheered inwardly and doodled something small on a clean page with no notes.

Why didn’t you reply?

She tapped Yirok’s arm, who was concentrating on the lesson. Yirok didn’t react when she tapped him two or three times, but soon, as if realizing he couldn’t ignore her, he glanced down. Chaehwa didn’t miss the opportunity and pointed to the doodle with her finger. Yirok, who read the doodle in less than a second, pretended not to have seen it and fixed his gaze on the blackboard again.

“Huh?”

But Chaehwa, who intended to see this through to the end today, quietly tapped his arm again. Yirok let out a sigh through his bitten lips and wrote something in his own book. Full of anticipation, Chaehwa read the reply with excited eyes, but Yirok’s answer was very short.

Pay attention to class

Disappointed, Chaehwa pouted her lips and glared at the blackboard, which was densely covered in writing. However, Chaehwa’s concentration didn’t last even a full minute and returned to bothering her seatmate. This time, a doodle written with firm pressure was delivered right in front of Yirok. At the sound of the book being pushed, Yirok quietly lowered his gaze.

If you don’t reply, I’ll bother you all day

There was no one else to fulfill her bucket list with. That’s why she had gone so far as to ask Chairman Baek to get her a brand new phone. Yirok, who didn’t even know the value of what was given to him, furrowed his brows as if annoyed and scribbled a reply on the corner of Chaehwa’s book.

If you disrupt the class one more time, I’ll bother you

As if a threat like that would scare her. Gritting her teeth and snorting, Chaehwa crossed her arms. Anyway, when class ended and it was lunchtime, Yirok wouldn’t go to the dining hall but would get some bread and wander around. Something tapped Chaehwa’s finger as she was planning her revenge for that moment. It was a touch lighter than the wind. A note was written on the corner of the book belonging to Yirok, who looked like he would only listen to the lesson even if he died. The hesitation of the writer could be felt, which was a pass for now.

I’m busy today… so if you’re going to bother me, do it tomorrow

Chaehwa pressed down on the corners of her mouth, which were trying to twitch up, and looked at his side profile. She would bet her entire fortune that although he was pretending to concentrate on the lesson, all his nerves were focused on her. Unable to withstand the pressure of her gaze, Yirok rolled his eyes to look at Chaehwa. As soon as their eyes met, Chaehwa showed him a bright smile.

“Okay.”

Teacher Myungil, who knew the back row wasn’t paying attention, coughed to warn them, but Chaehwa was satisfied.

It was just when she was thinking of finally paying attention to the lesson. Her head naturally followed the passionate interest she felt from the next row. Jangsi, who was sitting in the corner of the same back row, was sending her his attention.

He pretended to look at his book urgently when their eyes met, but the awkward movement made a question mark pop up in Chaehwa’s head.

No matter how I look at it, it felt like he was looking this way.

Come to think of it, there was a time when Yirok and Jangsi were talking together alone. They were always paired up wherever they went. Hadn’t they occupied a row together like partners during the ritual as well?

Did they get close without me knowing?

There wasn’t a single thing to be upset about, but Chaehwa’s heart had already lost the joy it had gained just moments before.

Not wanting to show her displeasure, Chaehwa looked at Jangsi with a smile befitting a young lady. She could feel that Jangsi, who had his book open to the wrong page, was uncomfortable, but for some reason, Chaehwa didn’t want to look away.

Just then, tap, tap, Chaehwa’s gaze was stolen by a touch on her hand. It was Yirok, who had called for her but didn’t speak, stubbornly looking at the blackboard. Not knowing what to do, Chaehwa was at a loss when Yirok sent back an answer with a quick doodle.

Look forward

In truth, Teacher Myungil didn’t have high expectations for her attitude in class, so he couldn’t say anything even if she openly put her head down and slept. Other than her grandmother, no one in the house nagged her. It was a very troublesome and impertinent interference, but Chaehwa liked the indifferent doodle so much that she kept looking at it.

That tiny handwriting tossed one’s mood on a raging wave. She was aware that she was being swayed, but Chaehwa had no particular desire to fix it.

It was fun. More than ever before.