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Chapter 4: Why Do You Hate Me So Much? (Part 1)
"La la la!"
Ju-kyoung's mom sang happily as she carefully adjusted a woman's eyebrows with an eye pencil, making them dark and beautiful.
After a while, Ju-kyoung's mom happily placed the pencil on the table beside her and looked at the woman, feeling proud and satisfied.
"Done. Perfect!" she said, smiling brightly. "Both brows are symmetrical, like a decalcomania."
The woman smiled as she looked in the mirror, then back at Ju-kyoung's mom, who was smiling even brighter than her customer.
"Your eyes are as keen as ever," the woman complimented.
Ju-kyoung's mom laughed, her black eyes glowing with enthusiasm.
"Can I have some coffee before I go?" the woman asked.
"Of course, dear client," Ju-kyoung's mom replied.
The woman smiled and walked to the coffee stand.
Ju-kyoung's mom's makeup shop wasn't too big, but it was enough to attract women—especially the gossipers who usually came to hear the latest gist.
The shop was decorated in an old-fashioned style. The chairs and furniture were mostly from the 90s, giving it a 20th-century vibe that often attracted women in their forties.
Ju-kyoung's mom turned to her next customer, who was lying on a small bed in the shop.
"What can I do for you today?" she asked, looking at the woman.
The woman smiled. "The usual eyebrows, please."
Ju-kyoung's mom smiled as she adjusted her chair and picked up her makeup tools.
The woman who had asked for coffee sat nearby, gently sipping her drink. "By the way, where's your handsome husband?" she asked, her eyes curious.
"I'm not sure what he's up to. He's on the phone all the time," Ju-kyoung's mom replied as she carefully shaped the other woman's eyebrows.
The woman on the bed suddenly sat up, catching Ju-kyoung's mom off guard.
"Maybe he's having an affair," the woman said.
Ju-kyoung's mom gently made her lie back down. "Let him have an affair," she said calmly. "At least he's not asking me for money."
Just as she was about to continue, three men walked into the shop. They didn't look like they were there for makeup.
Ju-kyoung's mom glanced at them. "What is it? You want your eyebrows done?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
The men were huge, dressed in suits, their strong builds obvious at a single glance.
One of the men stepped forward, his gaze fixed on her. "Who's Lim Jae-pil's wife?" he asked firmly.
Ju-kyoung's mom simply stared at them.
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Meanwhile...
Ju-kyoung inhaled deeply as she walked through the garden, carrying a decorated box filled with homemade cookies, concert tickets, and her love letter.
The garden was huge, and the calm breeze played with her high ponytail, brushing warm air against her skin.
Her steps were slow and careful as she spotted Hyun-bin standing in the distance. His hands were in his pockets, his gaze locked on her—but this time, his look was different. There was irritation in his eyes, like he found her presence annoying.
She inhaled deeply and walked up to him, immediately holding the box out towards him.
Hyun-bin's expression didn't soften. He turned his head slightly, checking behind him as if she might be offering the box to someone else. But no one else was there.
His frown deepened. "What is this?"
Ju-kyoung smiled nervously. "These are concert tickets, cookies I made, and—"
"And what?" Hyun-bin asked impatiently, scanning her from head to toe, his brows furrowed.
Ju-kyoung's heart raced as she looked at the ground. "And…" She gathered her courage, stretching the box closer to him. "And my heart."
Someone hiding behind the bushes carefully recorded the scene, but Ju-kyoung didn't notice. She was completely focused on her confession.
"Hyun-bin, I like you," she said, lifting her head and looking at him bravely.
Hyun-bin's face twisted with irritation. "What?"
"Are you asking me out or something?"
Ju-kyoung's gaze dropped as she lowered the box to her side, her grip tightening on it.
Hyun-bin lightly pounded his chest with his fist. "I'm Hyun-bin. Wang Hyun-bin."
Ju-kyoung's eyes filled with tears as she struggled to hold them back. "Sorry," she whispered softly. "Okay."
Hyun-bin smiled slightly, still surprised by her confession. "So you thought I would date you just because you said you liked me?"
Ju-kyoung's voice trembled. "You said I was a good person the other day, and… we have the same taste."
Hyun-bin scoffed. "Hey. I only took pity on you because you were being bullied. Is this how you repay me?"
Ju-kyoung stared at him in shock.
"Hey. If you don't have the looks, you should at least be sharp-witted. Know your place."
With that, he kicked the box out of her hands. It crashed to the ground, breaking open, the cookies scattering into pieces.
"Instead of wasting your time like this, take a look in the mirror," Hyun-bin said coldly as he brushed past her, bumping her shoulder.
Ju-kyoung stood frozen, staring at the broken box.
She bent down to pick it up just as a group of people approached, laughing loudly.
Sam-mi walked closer, holding her phone up to record, her friends gathered around, including the girl who usually sat next to Ju-kyoung—the one with red rashes on her face.
Sam-mi burst into laughter. "You're recording this, right? Gosh, poor dumpling! So that's how the ugliest person in our school confesses her feelings?"
The others exploded in laughter, pointing their cameras directly at Ju-kyoung.
"A round of applause, everyone!" Sam-mi called out. They all clapped and cheered.
Sam-mi pointed her phone at Ju-kyoung as she stood up. "Let's hear your thoughts on being crushed by your crush."
Ju-kyoung was speechless, holding her skirt tightly.
The group chanted, "Let's hear it! Let's hear it!"
Ju-kyoung's eyes met the girl with rashes who was quietly filming her.
Sam-mi flipped her phone camera to selfie mode and posed next to Ju-kyoung. "Goodness, you look really ugly on camera," she teased.
The girls laughed harder.
Sam-mi grabbed Ju-kyoung by the arm and dragged her closer to the camera. "Hey, tell us something."
"Stop it," Ju-kyoung said weakly.
Sam-mi grinned. "You're already in the video," she teased, pulling her closer. "Come on, say something."
Ju-kyoung pushed her slightly. "I said stop it!"
One of the girls in the group mimicked her, "I said stop it."
Sam-mi's gaze sharpened, her smile fading.
A guy from the group stepped forward. "Hey. Who do you think you're pushing? Have you lost it?"
He shoved Ju-kyoung to the ground.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sat helplessly.
The guy picked up the box, shook out the remaining cookies onto her hair, and threw the empty box at her.
Ju-kyoung wiped her tears, then looked up at them. "Why do you guys hate me so much?"
She used her hands to wipe her face. "Why do you hate me?" she asked again, her voice breaking.
"I haven't done anything wrong to you!" she yelled, gripping her skirt tightly. "But why do you hate me so much?"
Sam-mi looked at her with pride, brushing her brown hair back confidently as she leaned closer. "Hey, do you want to know?"
She tapped her forehead gently. "Because you're ugly."
One of the girls chimed in, "You have cooties now."
Sam-mi turned to her friends. "Right. Don't come near me!" she joked.
They all laughed. The girl with rashes just stood there quietly, recording.
Ju-kyoung stood up, tears still falling, and walked away.
"Where are you going?" one of the guys called out, still laughing.
"Look at her crying. I hate it," someone else added.
Sam-mi just laughed. "Whatever."
Ju-kyoung walked slowly along the road, glancing at her phone. Someone had already uploaded the video of her rejection online.
She scrolled to the comment section:
> "The guy is lousy too. She has neither looks nor good taste."
"She's the ugliest girl at school."
"She has confidence despite her looks."
"How is she going to show her face at school ever again?"
Ju-kyoung cried as she read the comments. She rushed to the restroom, feeling people's stares as she passed.
She opened the tap, quickly splashing water on her face.
When she looked up at the mirror, Hyun-bin's words echoed in her head.
> "Instead of wasting your time like this, take a look in the mirror. If you don't have the looks, at least be sharp-witted. Know your place."
Then Sam-mi's voice echoed:
> "Because you're ugly."
She stared at herself in the mirror—her thick eyebrows, her red spots, her misshaped face, her eyes that couldn't see without glasses, and those unfashionable big eyeglasses.
Frustrated, she angrily threw the glasses on the ground.
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