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Chapter 10: What Happens After I Go to a New School
Ju-kyoung's eyes widened with excitement as she looked at the map on her phone, then at the massive makeup supermarket in front of her. Without even stepping inside, she could already imagine how huge and magical it was.
She adjusted her glasses, gripped her backpack tightly, and stepped into the store, her heart fluttering.
Just as she had imagined—it was enormous. Rows and rows of makeup stands, shelves full of beauty products, and stunning posters of beautiful women lined the walls.
Ju-kyoung's eyes sparkled as she walked over to the lipstick section. One particular lipstick caught her eye. She eagerly picked it up, opened the tiny lid, and gently glided it over her small pink lips.
"Wow, it's so beautiful. It really compliments my lips," Ju-kyoung whispered, admiring herself in the small mirror on the shelf.
Smiling brightly, she dropped the lipstick into the mini shopping basket in her hand.
She continued exploring the supermarket, glancing at different makeup products. Unlike the other women casually walking around, Ju-kyoung moved with wonder and joy, as if she had entered makeup heaven.
After carefully selecting makeup that suited her skin tone and complexion, she paid for everything and happily headed home.
At home, Ju-kyoung watched a tutorial video of a woman applying lipstick flawlessly. She followed along step by step, making sure not to apply too much or too little. Every now and then, she glanced at her mirror for guidance.
For the first time in a very long time, Ju-kyoung felt happy—confident, even.
When the video ended, the woman looked gorgeous. Ju-kyoung smiled in anticipation and turned back to the mirror—only to gasp in horror. Her lipstick had smeared past her lips, all the way to her jaw. Her eyeshadow looked like zigzags covering half her eyelids.
Her confident smile vanished. Her eyebrows furrowed.
Disappointed, she grabbed her makeup wipes and wiped everything off. "I was sure I was getting it right," she murmured with a deep sigh of frustration.
She entered the bathroom to fix her eyebrows. As she shaved, she didn't realize she had accidentally removed half of one of them.
Her eyes met her reflection. "Oh no!" she cried.
The razor fell from her hand as she stared in disbelief.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. "It's okay," she said. She tied her black, medium-length hair into a ponytail. "I have to draw them on anyway."
She covered her eyebrows with her hand and snuck past her parents in the living room, who were busy packing.
Ju-kyoung's mother noticed her daughter running by. "Aren't you going to pack?" she called out.
No reply. Ju-kyoung dashed straight into her room.
Her mother sighed and looked at her husband, who just smiled and continued folding clothes.
Meanwhile, in her room, Ju-kyoung had already laid out all her makeup on her vanity. Sitting in front of the mirror, she began applying her makeup more carefully this time. Every time she made a mistake, she wiped it off and tried again. Bit by bit, her hands grew steadier.
She applied the lipstick, then the eyeliner, then the foundation. With every attempt, she got better.
The next day, she tried on the brown eye lenses she had bought from the shop. Carefully, she placed them into her eyes. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was shocked.
"It's so unbelievable," she said, astonished.
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Meanwhile, the guy who had saved Ju-kyoung the other night walked into a small but tightly packed library. Books were everywhere, and though it wasn't a large place, it felt full of stories.
His black eyes were cold and unreadable. His face carried no emotion as he scanned the room and spotted a man in his forties wearing headphones, singing loudly.
He sighed. "You're the devil," he muttered.
Still no response. He rang the bell in front of him gently.
The man finally removed his headset. "What?"
"I said, you're the devil."
The man stared at him, confused.
"Do you have the latest volume?" the boy asked bluntly.
Realization dawned on the older man's face. "Oh! Yes, I placed it in the horror section earlier," he said, pointing toward a room nearby.
Without another word, the boy dashed off.
The man turned to his left, about to speak again—but the boy was already gone.
He sighed. "He's always been like this. For the past ten days, nothing's changed."
A few minutes later, the boy returned, his expression calm but clearly holding something in.
"What happened?" the librarian asked as the boy approached.
He held up the book and showed him. "There's no first page. It goes from two straight back to one—but the actual page one is missing."
The librarian squinted, still not quite understanding.
"Can you start the national anthem from the second verse?" the boy asked. "Or start a game from level two without level one?"
The librarian blinked, speechless.
"I'll ask them to deliver a new copy and let you know when it arrives," he finally said.
The boy dropped the book on the counter and walked out, disappointed.
"He still hasn't changed," the librarian murmured, sitting back down.
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Back with Ju-kyoung, her family was now on the move—heading to their new home.
Ju-kyoung sang joyfully, staring out the window. Her brother watched her, confused by her cheerfulness.
Meanwhile, her mom sat in the back seat, staring out the window, stunned by their new surroundings. Her father drove silently in the front, avoiding his wife's gaze. He could still feel her eyes on him.
Ju-kyoung smiled and stopped singing. "I wonder what will happen next after I go to a new school," she whispered. "Hopefully, it turns out well."
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Hello readers. I know I've been unfair with the update of my novel please forgive me.
I've been so lazy and I'll make sure I give regular updates concerning my novel.
Ohh. And don't forget to give or share your comments in the comments section.
Love you all. Favour ada out.♡