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Chapter 4: Why Do You Hate Me So Much?
"La la la~!"
Ju-kyoung's mom hummed happily as she carefully shaped a woman's eyebrows, darkening them with precise strokes of her pencil.
After a few moments, she set the pencil down on the nearby table, admiring her work with a proud, glowing smile.
"Done. Perfect!" she chirped. "Both brows are symmetrical, like a decalcomania."
The woman smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror, then at Ju-kyoung's mom, who smiled even brighter than her customer.
"Your eyes are as sharp as ever," the woman complimented.
Ju-kyoung's mom laughed softly. "Of course."
"Can I have some coffee before I go?" the woman asked, getting up.
"Of course, dear client," Ju-kyoung's mom replied warmly.
The woman smiled and walked over to the small coffee stand.
Ju-kyoung's mom's beauty shop wasn't very big, but it was cozy enough to attract regulars—especially the gossip-loving women who came more for the chatter than the makeup.
The shop had an old-fashioned charm. The chairs and furniture were clearly from the '90s, giving it a vintage vibe that drew women in their forties like a magnet.
Turning back to her next client, who was lying comfortably on a small bed in the corner, Ju-kyoung's mom asked, "What can I do for you today?"
"The usual eyebrow touch-up, please," the woman replied.
Ju-kyoung's mom smiled and rolled her chair closer, picking up her tools.
The coffee-drinking woman, now seated nearby, glanced over. "By the way, where's your handsome husband?"
Ju-kyoung's mom gave a soft sigh. "Not sure what he's up to these days. He's always on the phone."
"Maybe he's having an affair?" the woman suggested, sitting up suddenly, catching Ju-kyoung's mom off guard.
Ju-kyoung's mom gently pressed her back down. "Let him have an affair. At least he's not asking me for money."
Just as she was about to continue, three tall men in dark suits walked into the shop. Their appearance made it obvious they weren't there for eyebrow shaping.
Ju-kyoung's mom raised an eyebrow. "What is it? You want your eyebrows done?"
The men, clearly muscular under their suits, didn't smile. One of them stepped forward.
"Who's Lim Jae-pil's wife?" he asked coldly.
Ju-kyoung's mom simply stared at them.
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Meanwhile, Ju-kyoung walked calmly through the garden, holding a beautifully decorated box filled with cookies and concert tickets she had worked hard on.
The breeze played with her high ponytail as she approached Hyun-bin, who stood with his hands in his pockets.
Without hesitation, she stretched the box toward him.
Hyun-bin frowned and glanced behind him to see if she was offering it to someone else.
"What is this?" he asked.
Ju-kyoung smiled nervously. "These are concert tickets… cookies I made… and—"
"And what?" Hyun-bin asked, looking at her from head to toe, his expression growing impatient.
Ju-kyoung looked down at the ground, then took a deep breath and stretched the box closer.
"And… my heart."
Someone nearby was quietly recording the scene, but Ju-kyoung didn't notice.
"Hyun-bin, I like you," she confessed, lifting her head and meeting his eyes confidently.
Hyun-bin's face twisted in irritation. "What? Are you asking me out or something?"
Her hands trembled as she lowered the box to her side. "You said I was a good person the other day… and that we have the same taste."
Hyun-bin hit his chest lightly. "I'm Hyun-bin. Wang Hyun-bin."
Ju-kyoung's eyes filled with tears, her voice barely a whisper. "Sorry. Okay…"
Hyun-bin smirked. "So you thought if you confessed, I'd date you?"
Ju-kyoung lowered her gaze, heartbroken.
"I only pitied you because you were being bullied," Hyun-bin said coldly. "Is this how you repay me?"
Her lips parted in shock.
"If you don't have the looks, you should at least be sharp-witted. Know your place," he snapped before kicking the box out of her hands.
The box hit the ground and broke open, the cookies scattering into pieces.
"Instead of wasting your time like this, take a good look in the mirror," Hyun-bin said as he brushed past her, bumping her shoulder.
Ju-kyoung stood frozen, staring at the broken box on the ground. Slowly, she bent down to pick it up when she heard laughter approaching.
Sam-mi and her clique walked up, phones pointed at her, cameras recording. The girl who usually sat beside Ju-kyoung—her face covered in red rashes—was also filming.
Sam-mi couldn't contain her laughter. "You're recording this, right? Poor dumpling! So this is how the ugliest girl in school confessed her feelings?"
The group burst into laughter, cameras zooming in on Ju-kyoung as she bent over, defeated.
"A round of applause, everyone!" Sam-mi cheered, and they all clapped mockingly.
Sam-mi shoved her phone into Ju-kyoung's face. "Let's hear your thoughts on being crushed by your crush."
Ju-kyoung clutched her skirt tightly, still speechless.
"Let's hear it! Let's hear it!" they chanted.
Her tear-filled eyes met the rash-faced girl's gaze—she was still filming.
Sam-mi flipped her phone's camera and grinned. "You look even uglier on camera."
The girls laughed harder. Sam-mi grabbed Ju-kyoung by the arm and pulled her closer. "Hey, say something!"
"Stop it," Ju-kyoung whispered.
Sam-mi grinned. "You're already in the video. Come on, say something!"
"I said stop it!" Ju-kyoung snapped, pushing Sam-mi away.
The group fell silent. Sam-mi's expression hardened.
One of the boys approached. "Hey. Who do you think you're pushing? Have you lost it?"
He shoved Ju-kyoung to the ground. As she sat there, tears streaming, he grabbed the box and dumped the remaining cookies over her head before tossing the box at her.
Ju-kyoung adjusted her glasses, sobbing. "Why do you guys hate me so much?"
She wiped her tears roughly, looking up at them with pain in her voice. "Why do you hate me? I've never done anything to you!"
Her voice rose in anguish. "But why do you hate me so much?"
Sam-mi knelt in front of her, tapping her forehead mockingly. "You really want to know? Because you're ugly."
"Yeah, you've got cooties now," one of the girls joked.
"Right, don't come near me!" Sam-mi laughed, stepping back as the group continued to jeer.
The rash-faced girl just stood there quietly, her camera still recording.
Ju-kyoung slowly stood, tears falling, and walked away without another word.
"Where are you going?" one of the boys called after her, still laughing.
"Look at her crying. I hate it!" someone muttered.
"Whatever," Sam-mi scoffed, turning away.
As Ju-kyoung walked through the street, she glanced at her phone—someone had already uploaded the video of her confession online.
Scrolling through the comments, her heart sank:
"The guy is lousy too. She has neither looks nor 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?"
Her vision blurred with tears. She rushed into the restroom, feeling the weight of everyone's stares.
She turned on the tap and splashed cold water on her face, but the words wouldn't stop echoing in her head.
Hyun-bin's voice: "Instead of wasting your time like this, take a look in the mirror. Know your place."
Sam-mi's voice: "Because you're ugly."
Ju-kyoung slowly lifted her gaze to the mirror. She stared at her reflection—the thick eyebrows, the red spots, the uneven features, the oversized, outdated glasses.
With a surge of anger, she tore the glasses from her face and hurled them to the floor.
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