chapter 02
“What’s that smell?”
As soon as she opened the front door, a rich, savory aroma hit her nose. Seoha immediately realized what it was and clapped her hands together.
“Pajeon! It’s pajeon today!”
Rushing to the dining table, she saw a seafood pajeon filled with ingredients and a bowl of doenjang jjigae, giving off an incredible aroma. With the addition of glossy, steaming rice, there was nothing more to ask for.
“It’s raining today, isn’t it? You know how good Mom is at making jeon.”
“I know, I know. I also know how good Mom’s pajeon is.”
Seung-oh smiled broadly as he sniffed the pajeon.
“Is pajeon the best? Because of Mom’s cooking, my taste has gotten so picky that eating out is difficult. You’re responsible for that!”
Seoha’s somewhat fussing compliment was still genuine.
“Thank you for always eating so well. Here, Seoha, try this before it gets cold.”
Oksun tore off the crispy edge of the pajeon and dipped it into a soy sauce with floating Cheongyang peppers, offering it to Seoha. Seeing Seoha gobble it up, Seung-oh’s expression tightened slightly.
“Do you have to have Mom feed it to you?”
“I can feed you too, right? Here, Mother. Say ‘ah~’.”
Oksun enjoyed the bite Seoha gave her, yet the three small furrows on Seung-oh’s brow didn’t seem to fade.
“Ah, it’s stuck in my throat.”
Seung-oh’s exaggerated discomfort at the table made Seoha pat her chest a few times, worried that the meal she had worked so hard for might come back up.
“Oh dear, look at me. I didn’t even bring water.”
“It’s fine. Sit down, Mom.”
Seung-oh quickly pulled the flustered Oksun back into her seat and placed a glass of water in front of Seoha.
“You can at least get your own water, can’t you?”
“When did I ever ask for it—”
–Ding dong, ding dong.
Just as a small quarrel was about to start, the doorbell rang at a perfect moment, cutting off the conversation. All eyes turned toward the entrance.
“Who could it be? No one’s supposed to come.”
“I’ll go see, Mom.”
“Stop that. Seung-oh, since you’re up, you go.”
Oksun pulled Seoha’s hand to keep her seated and gestured toward Seung-oh, who looked less than enthusiastic.
“I’m the husband of this house, aren’t I? A guest is considered a guest for a hundred years, so isn’t it weird if a guest goes to answer the door?”
Seung-oh often spouted nonsense like this, and Seoha ignored it with the power of love—it wasn’t a big deal.
“Child. Mom lives here, so how are you a guest for a hundred years? This is your in-laws’ and your own home. That’s all there is to it.”
While mother and son lightly bantered, Seoha stood up and went herself. It wasn’t like the entrance was five hundred meters away, and going herself was much easier.
“…Who is it?”
A young woman peered at the intercom screen—someone Seoha didn’t know at all. She wore a slightly shabby jacket with her hair tied back, looking nothing like a door-to-door salesman or someone soliciting spiritual advice.
–Ding dong, ding dong.
The doorbell rang again. Oksun finally walked over and asked,
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know. A young woman.”
“A woman? Ah, it must be Jisoo. You can open the door.”
“Jisoo?”
“She’s Aunt Nanju’s daughter, Lee Jisoo. I guess she didn’t know you’re not home today.”
Seoha pressed the button, and the woman bowed on the screen. Footsteps crossed the garden, slowly approaching the entrance, and stopped just outside.
–Knock knock.
“Come in, Jisoo. The door’s open.”
The door cautiously opened. At that exact moment, Seung-oh, who had been in the kitchen, also came through the living room toward the entrance.
“Why aren’t you coming in? It’ll get cold.”
“Ah, hello.”
Seung-oh’s grumbling coincided almost perfectly with the woman’s awkward greeting. In that brief instant, Seoha noticed that Seung-oh and Jisoo’s eyes met. It was an unpleasant coincidence.
“Here to see Mom? Oh no, she’s off today. Didn’t anyone tell you?”
In the slightly awkward atmosphere, Oksun spoke warmly.
“Ah, actually… I didn’t come to see Mom.”
Jisoo hesitantly held out a worn paper bag with a chicken restaurant logo and a black plastic bag.
“It’s for the clothes you lent me last time. And I made some bindaetteok. Since it’s raining, I thought you could eat it with the owner…”
“Pfft!”
Suddenly, a loud laugh erupted. It was the loudest Seoha had heard Seung-oh’s voice in days.
“Why are you laughing, honey?”
“Pfft, heheh.”
Without replying, Seung-oh chuckled and approached Jisoo.
“You’re Jisoo, right?”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
Jisoo nodded hastily, her neck turning pink in embarrassment.
“Are you the owner of the house I’m thinking of? The lady of this house?”
“….”
Jisoo lowered her gaze, looking embarrassed. Her earlobes peeked out red through her roughly tied hair with a yellow hair tie.
“Stop it, honey. That’s rude for a first meeting.”
Feeling strangely uncomfortable, Seoha lightly pushed Seung-oh aside and took the shopping bag and plastic bag from Jisoo.
“I’m sorry. My husband is still immature.”
Jisoo lifted her head slightly. Her innocent brown eyes seemed to scan Seoha from head to toe in an instant. Was it just an illusion?
“Ah… hello.”
A completely ordinary woman, someone you might see three times a day on the street. Her skin was dry, her worn tracksuit had grease stains. Rain dripped from a rusty two-tiered checkered umbrella, dirtying her shabby slippers.
“Give me the umbrella. I’ll put it away.”
Seoha offered kindly, concerned about the marble floor her employees would have to clean later.
“Oh, no! I-I’m sorry! Here, I…”
“Just put it there. By the door.”
Oksun pointed to the umbrella stand where Seung-oh’s umbrella was. Jisoo crammed hers in next to it and bowed repeatedly, apologizing.
“I’m sorry, miss. I’ll clean the floor. Here’s a rag…”
The timid girl looked so small and defeated in front of a peer dressed in an elegant dress. Seoha felt uneasy—it looked as though she were bullying Jisoo.
When Seoha was young, if she scolded a child from a slightly poorer family, she would be seen as the bad kid, even if it wasn’t really her fault. She had learned early on to hide her discomfort and behave politely.
“Don’t worry about the floor. You’re Jisoo, right? I’m Yoon Seoha, the daughter of this house. This is my husband, Seung-oh Lee, and he’s also the son of our Oksun Mother. Nice to meet you.”
Smiling and extending her hand, Seoha’s gesture made Jisoo hesitate. She rubbed her palm against her trousers before shaking Seoha’s hand.
“I’m sorry. My hands are dirty. I was worried you’d think I’m dirty…”
Seoha stared at her, speechless. Seeing Jisoo, who looked like a commoner from the Joseon era meeting a princess, wiping her hands nervously, Seoha thought,
‘What is she doing?’
Oblivious to the thought, Jisoo finally held Seoha’s hand and shook it lightly. Then Seung-oh suddenly extended his hand.
“I’m Seung-oh Lee. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Jisoo quickly wiped her hands again and grasped Seung-oh’s firmly.
“I-I’m Jisoo. My mother is Park Nanju. Uh, she always says the owner… I mean… not the owner…”
“Puhahaha!”
Seung-oh, who had been twitching his lips, burst into laughter. Seoha felt a strange sense of alienation toward the man she had loved all her life.
“You can just call her ‘Madam.’ Didn’t your mom tell you that?”
“My in-laws just laughed, so I left it at that.”
Even Oksun giggled, turning Jisoo’s face a shy peach color.
“Th-then I-I’ll go now. My bus time’s almost up.”
“Wait, Jisoo. Did you eat dinner?”
Jisoo shook her head at Oksun’s question.
“Good. You brought bindaetteok, right? We’re just having dinner. Eat it with us. Seoha, Seung-oh, is that okay?”
“Mother, I—”
“Of course it’s fine!”
Seoha’s intended protest of “I’m uncomfortable” was drowned out by Seung-oh’s booming voice. When Seoha rolled her eyes, Seung-oh even offered a long-winded explanation.
“It’s a full meal, just put down a spoon. Sending someone away hungry on a rainy day is heartless, isn’t it?”
Saying she was uncomfortable would instantly make her seem heartless.
“Of course. You can’t send someone away during mealtime. Come in, Jisoo. We just finished setting the table.”
Oksun tugged at Jisoo’s arm, and the girl shyly smiled as she took off her shoes. Yes, it was fine to share a meal.
Seoha turned toward the kitchen, suppressing her discomfort. Suddenly, the strap of the paper bag she was holding caught on a flowerpot, the handle snapped, and its contents spilled.
“Ah!”
Seoha bent to pick up the clothes. A nude-toned dress with exotic embroidery came up with her hand. The embroidery was familiar. Holding the dress with both hands and unfolding it, Seoha’s expression turned cold.
“…This is my dress.”
It was a handmade dress sold at a flea market in a small European town. There was no way the exact same dress existed in Korea, let alone the embroidery she had cut with a lint remover.
“Jisoo.”
Seoha strode to the kitchen and thrust the dress at her.
“Where did you get this?”
“Th-that?”
Jisoo blinked her wide eyes.
“I-I was washing dishes and accidentally spilled water on it. Aunt Suni told me to wear it, so… uh…”
Her eyes quickly reddened, threatening to spill tears. Seung-oh’s expression looked slightly displeased.
“Oh, that’s the one I lent you!”
Oksun waved it off as if it were nothing.
“The last time, one of the commuting helpers couldn’t come. My mom said it was too hard for her, so she came instead. She was the same age as you, and she worked so hard that the dress got ruined. So I gave her a dress you left behind. She could’ve just kept it, but look—she washed it and brought it back. Isn’t it pretty?”
A single tear ran down Jisoo’s cheek. Seoha was incredulous—how could this be happening? Who was supposed to be crying, and who wanted to cry?
