The Second Coming of Avarice chapter 3

“You think I don’t know why you’re here?! You came here to beg for more money, didn’t you?!” (Yu Seon-Hwah)

Seol flinched as she accurately stabbed him in the mark.

“Hey, hey. What are you even….” (Seol)

He sheepishly tried to smile and mumble his way out of this. Unfortunately, an event similar to this one had happened before already. And not just once or twice, either.

It only had been a four months ago, when he came to see her. He got on his knees, desperately rubbed his hands for hours and apologised. She decided to trust him back then.

Seeing that ugly and perhaps even cowardly smile on his face, the feelings of revulsion Yu Seon-Hwah previously didn’t have suddenly welled up inside her.

“I can’t and I won’t give you a single dime. Not anymore. What did you say to me back then? ‘Let’s start again, together’. Really? You think I’m an idiot? What’s the matter, isn’t blowing away our security deposit from last time not enough for you?!” (Yu Seon-Hwah)

Yu Seon-Hwah relentlessly shouted at him, before drawing heavy breaths. Dry heaves and coughs came out of her throat, now hoarse and cracked after a short burst of angry shouts.

Seol stood there, totally dazed. Outwardly, he seemed to have forgotten what he wanted to say thanks to her angry attitude, but upon a closer inspection, there was a thin but cruel smirk on his lips.

“You know, I’ve been a nice and patient guy until now, but you start acting like this? You ungrateful little b*tch….” (Seol)

Yu Seon-Hwah’s guilty thoughts of ‘Did I go overboard just now?’ lasted for only a brief second after hearing that. She even doubted her own ears for a moment there.

“What…. what did you just call me?” (Yu Seon-Hwah)

“Huh. Are your earholes all blocked up with wax or something? Hey, you. You think I’m some damn pushover? F*cking hell….” (Seol)

This was her very first time hearing him swear out like that. This sudden mental shock caused her mind to blank out.

“You know, you shouldn’t be acting like this to me. I mean, when you were going through so much sh*t and hardship, you clung to me like an annoying fly, yet now, you’re like this? I ain’t trying to sound like a petty b*stard or something, but have you forgotten about me taking care of you during the middle and high school? Hmm? You forgot those days when you’d aimlessly waste time wandering around the streets late at night, all crying and sh*t about wanting to see your dead parents? I still remember those days when your little sis came to me, crying and asking where you were and I’d go out looking for you whole night long.” (Seol)

A vile, disgusting taste clogged up Yu Seon-Hwah’s throat. She tried to hold it back down, but in its place, her eyes became wetter and hotter from this feeling of betrayal punching her in the gut.

“You remember when you had no money but still wanted to go overseas and study? Didn’t I postpone going back to school, just so you could use my admission fee as your own, instead? And after you left the country, didn’t I keep sending you more money that I earned from the part time jobs I took on, so you wouldn’t starve over there?” (Seol)

Those did indeed happen.

To pursue her dream, she wanted to study abroad, but the reality was, she was strapped for cash and it was an impossible dream.

She couldn’t tell anyone about her problems and continued to suffer in silent agony everyday. But this youth in front of her stepped forward to help back then.

She was so thankful for his sacrifice. And she also felt terrible about it, too, him having to delay going back to school himself, and using that money to help her out instead.

He was that kind of a person. He was dependable, he cared about her the deepest, and he was basically her most important pillar of strength, too. When they entered the same university together, and when he confessed to her shortly afterwards…. she felt like she was walking on cloud nine.

She loved him so much. When they promised to spend the rest of their lives together, she thought nothing could go wrong for them in this world and that their happiness would last forever.

But….

How could a person end up like this? Just what conspired to ruin a man to such a degree?

Yu Seon-Hwah stood there and trembled like a lone leaf on a tree. She sniffed softly, before abruptly raising her head. Her expression showed that she had managed to regain some semblance of calm, but her nostrils and eyes were moist and swollen still.

“….You son of a b*tch.” (Yu Seon-Hwah)

“W, what?” (Seol)

Seol stopped feigning anger and began stuttering his words, then. Rather than getting angry, he was dumbstruck, instead. Why? Because, he knew just how much she hated swearing. She had never once uttered a single curse word in her entire life.

“How much was it?” (Yu Seon-Hwah)

Her slightly-tearful voice sounded determined. It was as if she had finally made up her mind.

“Uh?” (Seol)

“How much was it? The money you gave me when I went overseas.” (Yu Seon-Hwah)

“Uhm…. The admission fee was like, 500 thousand? And from the part time jobs, probably around 200 thousand?” (Seol) (TL: In Korean currency.)

“I’ll pay the admission fee back to your dad. You might have given me the money, but it was your dad’s money to begin with. As for that 200, here it is.” (Yu Seon-Hwah)

Yu Seon-Hwah spoke curtly as if she was spitting out flames with each word and immediately switched her phone on.

“I sent it. It’s exactly 200 thousand, so check it.” (Yu Seon-Hwah)

Seol let off a fake cough, and cautiously pulled out his phone. And after checking out his bank balance, he couldn’t help smirk in delight.

“Wow, you have a lot of money now, don’t you? Just how much do you make a month?” (Seol)

“Are we finished now?” (Yu Seon-Hah)

She somehow squeezed out the voice, now wet with even more tears. Hearing her ominous-sounding words, the feeling of delight fled from Seol’s mind almost immediately. But, he still shrugged his shoulders after shifting his gaze over to her.

“Hey, now. I never asked you for money, no? If others hear you, they might think I’m trying to steal from you or something.” (Seol)

“….I’ve finished repaying all the debt with this. Right? Every dime?” (Yu Seon-Hwah)

“Well….. uh, I guess?” (Seol)

“If you’ve confirmed it, then get out. We have nothing tying us now. Not even debt.” (Yu Seon-Hwah)

“You’re starting this again?” (Seol)

In the end, Yu Seon-Hwah couldn’t hold it anymore, and collapsed to the floor on her knees. Seeing her desperately rein her tears back in, Seol roughly scratched his oily and unkempt hair.

“Fine, fine. I’m leaving.” (Seol)

Seol still had his shoes on; he hurriedly left the flat as if he was a thief escaping from the crime scene, afraid of his wrongdoings being exposed. However, his sense of accomplishment after getting the cash only lasted for a brief few seconds.

*SFX for a sorrowful wail of a woman*

When he heard the restrained yet heartbroken wail coming from behind the closed door, Seol suddenly felt like sh*t.