CHAPTER 1

The air was cold in the room that hadn’t been heated in days. Despite lying down early in bed, hoping to get an early night, sleep didn’t come easily. Siyeon pulled the blanket up to her chin, but the cold didn’t subside.

Eventually, she got out of bed, turned up the heating, and sat down at the dining table, turning on her laptop. The two-person square table in her cozy studio apartment, just the right size for living alone, was often used as a desk rather than a dining table.

“…The little bear that was left alone felt lonely and sad. The little bear was even happy to hear the scary sound of the wind rattling against the window.”

Siyeon slowly read aloud the sentence displayed on her laptop screen.

She was a fairy tale author who had published several books. While this job didn’t provide her with significant financial satisfaction, Siyeon loved her work.

She covered her living expenses by working part-time at a friend’s cafe. Perhaps because she’d never been materialistic from the start, it was enough to meet her needs without feeling much deprivation in her life.

The apartment her parents had given her in Ichon-dong when she became independent was used for her step-parents’ medical bills, settling remaining debts, and funeral expenses. The only thing she has now is this small studio apartment rental, but such things didn’t shake her life.

She had gotten used to the discomfort enough over the past decade. So much that she didn’t remember the comfortable life she once had for seventeen years in the slightest. In truth, it would be more accurate to say that she had resigned herself to this situation rather than grown accustomed to it.

[ Siyeon, happy birthday. It would have been nice to have a meal together on a day like today. ]

Siyeon turned on her phone and rechecked the text message her father from Ichon-dong had sent earlier this morning. Along with the message, he had deposited 1 million won into her account. Today marked her twenty-seventh birthday.

Thinking of her parents in Ichon-dong, tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly wiped away the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand.

She pretended not to care, but in fact, she lay in bed every night, constantly reminiscing and longing for the past. Her parents in Ichon-dong loved her dearly, and she felt safe and happy in their nest. Up until the summer she turned eighteen, that is.

Her life since then had drastically changed, like black and white. Heavy times had piled up since then, creating her current gloomy state. From then on, her life was like a ship slowly sinking toward the depths of the ocean.

“Our beautiful daughter, Siyeon.”

When the voice that used to lovingly hold her and speak gently echoed in her ears, tears poured out uncontrollably.

She wiped the tears from her cheeks and stood up. The longing had become too overwhelming to bear.

As Siyeon changed her clothes, she recalled the contents of the text message her father from Ichon-dong had sent. Even if it was just a courteous gesture, she wanted to pay her respects and see them.

* * *

The Ichon-dong where she had lived until the winter of last year was a neighborhood so familiar that she could find her way even with her eyes closed. She stood in front of the apartment building and looked up at the house that had been her home for a long time.

As she stood there, quietly looking up, Siyeon eventually started walking toward the entrance of the apartment building. She had planned to use the excuse of briefly stopping by on her way home.

However, once she took the elevator up and stood in front of the door, she hesitated for a long time and failed to ring the doorbell, and just lingered at the front door. It had been her home until last spring, but now it was no longer hers. She knew the passcode, but she couldn’t bring herself to enter the numbers.

After much hesitation, Siyeon mustered the courage and pressed the doorbell firmly.

[ Who’s there…? Oh my! ]

Siyeon was taken aback as Eunhye’s voice flowed through the speaker.

She had thought that only her Ichon-dong parents would be at home. If she had known Eunhye was here, Siyeon would have never come. She had naturally assumed that Eunhye would be spending time with her husband today.

She wanted to turn around and leave, but it was already too late. Eunhye had recognized who she was, and before Siyeon could even consider retreating, the front door swung wide open.

“Oh my, Siyeon, what brings you here without any notice?”

Eunhye opened the door wider with a smiling face.

“… I came to this neighborhood because of some business and thought of briefly saying hello to Mom and Dad…”

“You’re welcome here. Come in quickly.”

Behind her, Siyeon could see her Ichon-dong parents and Eunhye’s husband, Gwihyeon, one after the other. All three of them showed signs of surprise and awkwardness at Siyeon’s unexpected appearance.

Gwihyeon, Eunhye’s husband, lowered his gaze as soon as his eyes met Siyeon’s. The awkwardness and discomfort were mutual between them.

“Siyeon.”

“Welcome. Come on in.”

Taking Siyeon’s hand and patting her back, her mother led her to the kitchen table. Siyeon stepped inside with hesitance, barely holding herself together.

On the table, there was a cake with lit candles and meticulously prepared dishes arranged abundantly.

Four clear wine glasses filled with red wine caught her eye. Seeing that, Siyeon understood that they were celebrating Eunhye’s birthday. She had barged into a family birthday party, making herself an unwelcome intruder.

“Siyeon, you haven’t eaten yet, right? Welcome, let’s eat together. I somehow had a feeling you were coming because I prepared a lot of food. I’ll pack some side dishes for you later. Okay?”

“… Yes.”

Siyeon answered quietly and took a seat. Then, she glanced at their mother, halting her sentence halfway, intending to habitually call her “Mom,” but stopped herself. She blamed her own foolishness for impulsively coming and making everyone uncomfortable. She felt physically and mentally uncomfortable as if sitting on thorns.

“Mom, please pack some food for Siyeon. It’s not easy for her to cook proper meals while living alone.”

“Sure, I will.”

With an affectionate glance at Eunhye, as if marveling at her thoughtfulness, their mother brought a new plate and utensils for Siyeon. It was a gaze that also carried the look she used to give Siyeon in the past.

The awkward meal of the five people began. Even without words, everyone felt the uneasiness. Eunhye was the only one who behaved naturally in that situation.

“By the way, Siyeon, have you found a job?”

“… I’m still working.”

Siyeon replied as she scooped up some soup with her spoon.

The soup her mother ladled for her wasn’t hot; it was lukewarm. It had been boiled for a little while now, but it was not completely cold to be reboiled. This lukewarm soup, which Siyeon was having for the first time, felt like her Ichon-dong mother’s cooled affection.

“I know you’re a fairy tale author but your income might not be stable, right? Instead of that, why don’t you come to our company? You can write in your free time. Oppa, can’t we create a position for Siyeon at the company?”

At Eunhye’s request, Gwihyeon, who had been eating silently, showed an awkward expression.

Seeing Gwihyeon’s flustered reaction, Siyeon suppressed a bitter smile and spoke before he could become even more uncomfortable.

“Thank you, but it’s okay, I’m working at the cafe and I’m not really struggling financially.”

“Well, that’s a relief, but still, if you ever find it difficult, just let me know anytime. I’ll talk to my dad or grandfather and see if I can find a place for you.”

“…Sure. Thank you.”

Siyeon wanted to refuse again, but she reluctantly nodded her head, afraid that the atmosphere would become even more awkward. Silence fell over the dining table once more.

“Gwihyeon, would you like some more soup?”

“…Yes. Just a little more, Mom.”

“Mom, I’ll have some too.”

“Okay.”

Ichon-dong mother got up from her seat and began heating a pot on the induction stove. A little later, she returned to the dining table with two more steaming soup bowls. Seeing this, Siyeon cast her gaze downward.

Human emotions were truly cunning. When she came, she was certain she could just greet the two and leave, but she ended up getting hurt by the lukewarm soup, something so insignificant.

“Siyeon, make sure to eat plenty.”

“Yes.”

When their gazes met, Siyeon smiled at her.

“Eunhye, you should eat well and stay healthy. That way, you can have a baby soon.”

“Mom, seriously.”

Eunhye blushed and cast a gentle glance at her mother.

Gwihyeon, who used to be Eunhye’s department head in the company became her husband in the spring of last year. He had also been Siyeon’s fiancé until the winter of the previous year.

Gwihyeon’s grandfather had vehemently protested when he declared his intention to marry Eunhye instead of Siyeon, calling it an absurd idea. However, when he heard that Eunhye was the real great-granddaughter of the famous Kim Dong-han, he allowed their marriage. It was inevitable to grant permission when Gwihyeon’s beloved woman turned out to be the genuine daughter of the Ichon-dong parents.

Upon their marriage, Eunhye quit her job at the company. She had initially said that she would move into the Suwon Jongtaek with the adults, but Gwihyeon expressed his wish to live separately until they had a child. Eventually, the two of them settled in Seocho-dong for their newlywed life.

Approaching their second year of marriage, and with no news of a child yet, both families were deeply concerned. This was particularly pronounced for Gwihyeon, being the eldest grandson and heir, which only added to the weight of the situation.

“Oh, by the way, Oppa, didn’t Ijun return yesterday? If nothing’s going on, we should have a meal together. He must have missed Korean food.”

“He said he’s leaving again next week. Father wants to keep him in Korea, but he’s not the type to listen to anyone, so there’s not much we can do about it.”

“He’s your one and only younger brother. Even though he’s acting like a prince, please allow him to do what he wants and live his life. He finds the work at the company boring and unpleasant, so don’t force him into it.”

Gwihyeon nodded lightly, seemingly understanding Eunhye’s words.

“By the way, Siyeon, Ijun asked for your contact information, so I gave it to him. Is that okay?”

Siyeon, who had been eating quietly with her head down, raised her gaze at her father’s sudden words.

“…Ijun asked for my contact number?”

“Yeah. He wanted to know your updated number, so I gave it to him.”

Siyeon furrowed her brow momentarily, then quickly realized where she was and smoothed out her forehead.

She had recently changed her phone number while trying to tidy up her past. Both Gwihyeon and his younger brother, Ijun, were part of the past that had slipped away from her.

“Yes, it’s okay.”

She answered as such, but her heart wasn’t at ease. It was because she remembered their last encounter.

The last time Siyeon saw him was in the spring of this year, at the funeral home for her stepmother.

[ Kim Siyeon became Choi Siyeon, huh? No wonder the last name didn’t suit you. ]

He had no way to turn the conversation around and was a master of harsh words without offering empty pleasantries.

When it became known that Siyeon and Eunhye had switched places in the winter of the previous year, Ijun immediately called her upon hearing the news. His voice was heavy as he said:

[ You’ve lost your brother, you’ve lost your parents, and you’re out of luck too. ]

“Did you call me just to mock me?”

[ I thought you’d be imitating the tragic heroine of a melodrama, but surprisingly, you seem perfectly fine. ]

Instead of comforting her, he seemed to take pleasure in her misery. Siyeon couldn’t fathom someone like Ijun.

“I’m going to hang up.”

Ijun was the only person who treated her the same, whether she was Kim Siyeon or Choi Siyeon. He was truly consistent in being unpleasant, both in the past and the present.