A Bruise That Fades

The winter classroom is bright, slightly stifling, and drowsy.

“Hey, that bruise faded a lot.”

Ju Hayan touched the ends of her bangs at Lee Jonghun’s finger suddenly pointing at her face.

She wanted to check a mirror right away.

Going all the way to the back of the staff room felt like a hassle.

There was no way she owned a hand mirror.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“It’ll probably be gone in a few days.”

That was good news.

What Ju Hayan had recently realized was that walking around with a large bruise on your face attracted more attention than expected.

The bruise from a single blow had spread over a surprisingly wide area.

From her temple to the side of her eye, it was dark blue.

It did not hurt to touch.

It still looked awful.

From the moment she arrived at school, Ju Hayan had been fidgeting with her nearly useless phone because of all the stares aimed at her face.

She could not avoid Lee Jonghun when she ran into him in the classroom.

To make it worse, he sat to her left.

There was no way he could miss the bruise on the left side of her face.

‘Hey, what is that?’

‘That bruise is insane.’

Lee Jonghun leaned in close and asked.

‘I just fell.’

‘It’s nothing.’

‘How do you fall and end up with a bruise on your head?’

‘Does it hurt when I touch it?’

‘This part is purple.’

‘Why are you touching it when you’re asking if it hurts?’

‘Move your hand.’

Ju Hayan made a face of pure disgust at Lee Jonghun, who was making a fuss she could not tell was concern or excitement.

He, of course, did not care.

His eyes sparkled as he continued staring at the bruise.

This idiot.

Lee Jonghun was as noisy as Kim Jaesik, easily matching him blow for blow.

In the end, Ju Hayan lied and said she had tripped over something at home and hit her head on the wardrobe.

Lee Jonghun twisted his face and said that must have hurt.

Ju Hayan absentmindedly touched the bruise again as the pain resurfaced.

It really had hurt.

For several days after that, Ju Hayan continued to suffer from people’s attention toward the bruise.

Her classmates, teachers, and even interviewers when she went job hunting gave her suspicious looks.

Eventually, she just brushed it off with, “I fell.”

It was still a hassle.

“Thank goodness.”

Ju Hayan carefully touched the bruised area.

More than anything, she was glad to be free from annoying questions.

Drreuk—

“Alright.”

“Everyone, take your seats.”

Ju Hayan straightened up from leaning on her desk as the homeroom teacher entered through the front door.

Lee Jonghun rubbed his stiff neck, half asleep and half awake.

Ju Hayan stretched subtly, her body stiff from staying in one position while watching movies all morning.

Students who had been chatting in small groups returned to their seats.

In a loud senior class busy talking or sleeping all day, this was one of the few moments the room felt like an actual classroom.

“There’s nothing special to announce today.”

“After school, don’t hang around near the school.”

“Go straight home.”

“Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Other grades are still in class.”

“Don’t disturb them.”

“Go home quietly.”

“That’s all.”

As the homeroom teacher finished speaking, the class president stood up.

Attention.

Bow.

Ju Hayan stood with the rest and greeted in unison.

“Cleaning duty should come to the staff room after finishing!”

Before leaving the classroom, Ju Hayan placed the chair she had been leaning on up on the desk.

She put her light, nearly empty bag on top of the chair.

The classroom filled again with the sound of dragging chairs and chatter.

Lee Jonghun, who was lifting his chair too, turned to her.

“Hey, are you going to work again today?”

“Yeah.”

“What time?”

“Can’t you stop by the PC café first?”

“We’re going together.”

“I can’t even play games.”

“What would I do there?”

“I don’t have time.”

“I still have cleaning duty.”

“I’m already annoyed.”

Ju Hayan headed toward the cleaning supply closet with Lee Jonghun trailing behind her.

Being stuck cleaning after entrance exams were already over felt awful.

At least today was her last cleaning duty.

“So why are you even working right now?”

“Isn’t it a waste?”

“This is literally the only time in your life you can have fun without caring about anyone!”

“It’s not a waste at all.”

“Talking nonsense with you right now is the biggest waste.”

“You’re brutal.”

“You asshole.”

Shut up.

You leech.

Ju Hayan swept the floor toward Lee Jonghun’s feet.

He jumped back a few steps and cursed loudly.

Even then, he refused to move farther.

Tired of it, Ju Hayan lowered her head and pretended not to hear him.

It did not help.

“If you need allowance, just ask your parents.”

Jonghun really lived in a flower garden of a brain.

Just as Ju Hayan was about to snap back, a voice called Lee Jonghun from the back of the classroom.

She did not need to look.

It was obviously the guys he planned to go to the PC café with.

“They’re calling you.”

“…Rude bastard.”

“Let’s hang out tomorrow.”

“You don’t have plans, right?”

“I’m busy, idiot!”

Ju Hayan shouted sulkily and waved at Lee Jonghun’s retreating back.

She knew his mood would improve instantly if she contacted him tonight or tomorrow.

Simple guy.

Nice idiot.

With the area finally quiet, Ju Hayan sighed deeply and focused on cleaning again.

Sweeping and mopping the classroom did not take long.

Since it was the end of the school year, even half-hearted cleaning was enough to finish in under twenty minutes.

“I’m heading in first.”

“Okay.”

“See you next week.”

After the homeroom teacher inspected their cleaning, Ju Hayan was the first to leave the classroom.

Cleaning itself did not take long.

But it had still wasted time.

She needed to hurry.

Bus number 126 will arrive shortly.

She rode the bus for thirty minutes from the stop right outside the school.

Unlike the apartment-filled area around the school, she got off in a district lined with office buildings.

She walked as if familiar with the place.

Her destination was the convenience store near her workplace, just like yesterday.

“It’s two thousand won.”

“Here you go.”

“Yes.”

After paying for a small cup ramen and a triangle kimbap, Ju Hayan sat at a table inside the convenience store.

After doing this for several days, it no longer felt awkward.

It was nice that seniors were dismissed early after the CSAT.

But they were excluded from lunch.

She had gained work hours and lost meals.

Ju Hayan placed her hand on the warm lid of the cup ramen.

The moment three minutes passed, she stirred the noodles with her chopsticks.

She had already eaten half the kimbap she warmed slightly in the microwave.

Both were cheap and came in many flavors.

She was starting to get tired of them.

Maybe she would try a burger next week.

She slurped the steaming ramen broth.

“I’m full….”

After cleaning up, Ju Hayan left the convenience store.

Wearing her uniform in an office district during the day felt embarrassing.

She quickened her pace.

Her workplace was on the first floor of a ten-story building.

Thankfully, her shift avoided lunch hours slightly.

At closing time, the place was crowded enough to form lines.

Since it was Friday, she also had to clean the machines.

Her energy drained automatically.

She blew out a breath and wiped everything away.

Smile.

Smile.

It was her own weapon, young and inexperienced as she was.

Climbing the building steps, Ju Hayan opened the store door and greeted brightly.

“Hello.”

“Hayan, I’m heading out first.”

“Good work.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’ll let you go first next time!”

Ju Hayan bowed slightly as she watched the coworker hurriedly push the door open with their shoulder.

With her coworker leaving an hour early due to family matters, Ju Hayan was left alone in the small café.

Since it was late on a Friday, there were no customers in the hall.

She wiped her wet hands on her apron.

“Alright.”

With the coffee machine closed early, all that remained were small tasks like washing dishes and tidying the hall.

She rinsed detergent from mugs and flipped them upside down on top of the machine.

She stacked wet trays carefully.

If they slipped even slightly, everything would collapse.

She focused with her mouth hanging open.

After a chaotic weekend, Ju Hayan immediately searched for a part-time job.

Fortunately, there was a business district not far from both school and home.

She was not short on options.

She called right away and said she wanted to visit.

She dug out resume paper from a drawer.

The manager worried she would leave for college soon.

But Ju Hayan’s determination won out.

When she got the acceptance text, she lay on her stomach and punched the blanket repeatedly.

She could earn money.

It was different from day labor pay.

Cafe work was not especially harsh.

She flipped over and replied with a quick thank-you.

She could no longer expect full protection from others.

Clinging to vague hope was a luxury.

Ju Hayan knew it was time to stand on her own.

And for that, money was the most urgent thing.

“Mmm….”

She hummed along to the soft jazz playing in the café.

She walked back and forth between six tables and the many chairs.

The floor, swept and mopped, was clean.

After confirming there was nothing left to do, she turned off the lights near the entrance.

When the incandescent lights reflecting on the floor went out, darkness pressed against the glass.

Once even the bright kitchen lights were off, everything turned black.

Still in her uniform with her bag, Ju Hayan moved carefully under the moonlight.

Winter nights were cold.

When she opened the café door, warm air escaped and sharp cold rushed in.

She locked the door quickly and shoved her chilled hands into her pockets.

Hoo.

Her breath stretched long in the air.