" The Girl They Called Devil "

Episode 31: Words That Cut Deep

A few days had passed since their graduation ceremony. They were now fully settled into university life—attending lectures, completing assignments, and even looking for suitable part-time jobs to gain experience and become more independent. The excitement of finishing school had settled into a steady routine, but beneath the calm surface, old memories and feelings sometimes lingered.

One afternoon, Yujin was sitting in her room, organizing her university notes and checking some job advertisements online, when her phone rang. It was Dea. He asked if she could come over to his house, saying he needed to talk to her about something important. Yujin agreed without hesitation; she had known Dea since childhood and trusted him completely, so she did not expect anything bad.

She arrived at Dea’s house after a short walk. The house was quiet and peaceful as usual. Dea welcomed her in and led her to the living room. They sat down facing each other, but there was a strange tension in the air that Yujin could feel immediately.

She looked at him, her expression calm but curious. “What happened?” she asked directly. “Why did you call me here? Do you want to say something important?”

Dea looked at her for a long moment, his face serious and his eyes holding a strange mix of disappointment and sharpness. He leaned back slightly in his chair and spoke in a steady, firm tone.

“Yes, there is something I want to ask you. You have become part of the Choi family now. You have a new name—Yujin—not Yuju anymore. You live in a big house, you study in a good university, you have everything you could ever want, and you look very happy in this new life of yours. But tell me something… have you ever stopped to think about Yuju? The girl you used to be? The girl who lost everything?”

Yujin frowned deeply, confusion spreading across her face. She tilted her head slightly, trying to understand what he meant. “What do you mean exactly? I don’t understand where this is coming from. Can you explain it properly, please?”

Dea let out a short breath, as if he had been holding these words inside for a long time. He leaned forward, his voice becoming sharper and more intense.

“Alright, I will tell you exactly what I mean. It seems like you have completely moved on and forgotten everything from before. Have you really forgotten your parents? Have you forgotten how they died? Have you forgotten that their death was not an accident? Do you not have even a little bit of desire to find out who was responsible for what happened? Do you not want to know the truth and give them the justice they deserve?”

He paused, looking straight into her eyes, his words carrying a heavy weight. “It feels like you have become so comfortable here, so happy with this new name and this wealthy family, that you have just left everything behind. You don’t seem to care anymore. The strong, brave Yuju I knew—who held on even when everything was taken away—she seems to have disappeared. Now I only see someone who is happy to enjoy a good life, who acts like nothing bad ever happened. I don’t want this Yujin who only cares about comfort and money. I want the Yuju who was brave enough to face the world. I find it hard to believe that you have truly forgotten your own parents and what they meant to you.”

Yujin sat frozen in her seat. Every word felt like a sharp blow to her heart. Her face turned pale, and her eyes quickly filled with tears that she tried hard to hold back. She could not believe Dea—someone she had trusted for so long—would think this way about her.

Suddenly, she stood up abruptly from the chair. Her hands were trembling slightly, and her voice shook with a mix of pain, hurt, and anger.

“How can you say such things to me?” she said, her voice tight with emotion. “If this is what you truly think of me, then there is nothing left for us to talk about here.”

She turned toward the door, not wanting to let him see her cry more than necessary. Over her shoulder, she spoke one last time, her voice firm but filled with deep hurt.

“I’m going home now. Don’t call me again. And I will never come to this house again.”

Without waiting for any reply or explanation, she walked quickly out of the living room, through the hallway, and out of the front door, leaving Dea sitting alone in the quiet room with his own thoughts.