CHAPTER 15

Siyeon sat on a cushion, across the monk. Behind the monk’s broad gray robes, there was a Buddha statue with a subtle smile. After briefly glancing at the statue, Siyeon turned her gaze back to the monk. 

“Venerable, your grandmother hasn’t said anything to me, but why had you, her granddaughter, suddenly come here?” 

As the monk poured tea into small cups, he spoke. He asked why she had come to visit even though her grandmother hadn’t informed him. It wasn’t that he was genuinely curious about the reason; rather, he felt the need to confirm what he already knew. 

After pushing the tea-filled cup toward her, the monk raised his eyes and met Siyeon’s gaze. 

“I’ve always wanted to meet you, Monk Jeongseon. I came here today because I finally had the opportunity.” 

“Why did you want to meet an old monk like me?” 

“Because you changed my destiny.”

“…” 

The monk paused in the middle of lifting his cup to his lips. 

“Monk, grandmother’s heard your words and changed the lives of another family without their knowledge. She changed the fate of her granddaughter by intervening in someone else’s life.” 

As Siyeon finished speaking, the monk’s face stiffened in an alarming manner. He was taken aback, staring at her with a surprised expression, and after a moment, his lips moved. 

“…How did you know?” 

“Knowing how I found out isn’t important. The reason I came to see you today is that I want to know why I can’t return to my original position before I turn twenty-five.” 

“Bodhisattva of the Wood…” 

The monk closed his eyes and slowly rotated his prayer beads in his hand. Seeing this, anger and frustration welled up in Siyeon’s chest. 

“Please tell me. Do my birth parents and I have to live apart for twenty-five years, all for the sake of my grandmother’s biological granddaughter? Did the Buddha say that it’s acceptable to trample ruthlessly on innocent lives if it benefits her?” 

“…” 

Siyeon had tried to speak calmly, but her emotions got the best of her, and her voice unintentionally became louder.

“Grandmother is a devoted Buddhist, isn’t she? She commits acts akin to murder, yet she prays and bows before the Buddha. I don’t understand how that aligns with the Buddha’s teachings.”

 The monk slowly raised his trembling eyelids. His face was filled with remorse. 

“…It’s all the fault of this wretched being. I spoke words that should not have been uttered, swayed by worldly emotions, and for that, I will accept the consequences. Please release your anger.” 

“I want to go to my birth parents right away, reveal the truth, and find my rightful place.”

 “I understand that what Bodhisattva Park and I did is an unforgivable sin. But one thing, it must not be like that.” 

“Then, do you really think that grandmother’s real granddaughter will die? Do you truly believe that, Monk Jeongson?”

 “Yes, that’s how it will likely be. But that’s not the only reason.” 

“……”

 His response left Siyeon speechless. 

“It was difficult for me to pretend not to see the obvious misery in that household. I wanted to delay the inevitable separation, but my feeble good intentions have turned into such great calamity. My foolish intervention may have prolonged the granddaughter’s life, but it added more karma to that family. Looking back, I now realize that my involvement in their life, her becoming part of the Choi family, was all the will of the Buddha.” 

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, Monk Jeongson.”

 The monk looked at Siyeon with a troubled expression. 

“Someday, everything will fall into place. Remember that even you becoming a member of the Kim family was the will of the heavens.” 

“It sounds like you’re saying that heaven predestined my misery.” 

“It was the intention to correct the twisted relationships.” 

“… ” 

He added explanations that were difficult for Siyeon to understand. She only stared at the monk with a stern face.

“Everything will flow according to the natural order, so please, may you cherish and forgive that person.” 

The monk bowed deeply to Siyeon, his hands clasped in prayer.

* * * 

Even as the afternoon passed, there was still no contact from her parents. The only message that came was from Ijun, asking if everything was going well. 

After leaving the temple, Siyeon initially intended to head home but changed her mind and redirected towards Hannam-dong. She wanted to find out what was happening with her parents. 

She didn’t know what she would find there, but she had no fear. The monk had advised her to let things flow naturally, but Siyeon wished that everything would come to light through this opportunity. 

When the taxi Siyeon was in stopped in front of a villa in Hannam-dong, it was late afternoon. However, it was still bright like midday due to the long summer days. 

Standing in front of the villa’s entrance, Siyeon pressed the intercom button for Unit 302. After a while, a weak voice came through the speaker on the wall.

[…Who is it?] 

“It’s me, Grandma.” 

[… ]

The grandmother remained silent. She didn’t open the door for her, nor did she say anything. After a few seconds of silence, Siyeon spoke again.

“Mom and Dad mentioned that you weren’t feeling well.” 

[… Your parents are not here, why did you come here without contacting me first? ] 

“Mom and Dad are not there? Do you know where they went? 

[I have no idea. Maybe if you go back home, they’re already there. I’m feeling unwell, so let’s end it here.]

With a cold tone, she disappeared from the intercom.

Where could my parents have gone after leaving the Hannam-dong house? 

No matter how hard Siyeon thought, she couldn’t come up with any leads. Following her grandmother’s advice, returning to the Ichon-dong house and waiting seemed to be the only option. 

Judging by the atmosphere, something had definitely happened between her grandmother and her parents. Most likely, it was the very thing Siyeon had suspected. If her suspicions were correct, then why had her grandmother already revealed that secret?

“….”

The day had passed, but the weather remained hot and humid. Siyeon suddenly felt a slight dizziness and realized that she hadn’t eaten anything all day except for the glass of milk she had in the morning. 

Anyway, she had no reason to stay in Hannam-dong. With the intention of stopping by a nearby convenience store, Siyeon wearily moved her feet. But, she stopped in her tracks with just a few steps as she noticed a familiar woman walking up from the other side of the alley.

Siyeon unconsciously clenched her lips and stared intently as the woman approached. It was Eunhye. 

“…..” 

Eunhye briefly glanced at Siyeon, who was standing near the entrance of the villa, and then walked past her. It wasn’t that she ignored Siyeon, but she didn’t seem to recognize her at all. 

Siyeon sensed someone pressing the doorbell from behind her. Siyeon was about to take a step when it happened.

[Eunhye?]

Siyeon’s entire body stiffened at the affectionate voice that came through the speaker. She instantly recognized who she was. Her eyes welled up with tears. 

“Yeah, Mom. It’s hot, can you open the door?” 

[Sure, come in quickly.] 

Siyeon heard a beep and then the sound of the door creaking open. Eunhye’s voice, complaining about the heat, faded away as she entered. 

“…..” 

Siyeon slowly turned around and looked up at the villa. Tears that had welled up in her eyes trickled down. She had never heard her mother’s voice so full of life before. 

The time she had lived with her biological mother in her previous life had been very short, and even that time had been mostly stained with sadness and pain. 

There were no memories that could be called “memories.” The occasional flashes of recollection in her mind were all things that only weighed heavily on her heart. 

It was only after hearing her birth mother’s cheerful voice a while ago that Siyeon realized she had never once smiled in front of her. Thinking about her, a faint, powerless voice filled with tears seemed to echo in her ears. 

Wiping away the tears that stained her cheeks, Siyeon turned and walked away. Her heart felt like it was about to burst. She had seen her mother so happy, yet her own heart still ached. 

As she continued her weary steps, her phone rang. Siyeon stopped and answered the call.

[Is your work still not finished?]

When she heard Ijun’s voice, a wave of sadness welled up in her chest. 

“…Oppa.” 

Her voice choked up, and her words came out in a jumble. Her lips and cheeks quivered with tears.

[Why do you sound like that? Are you sick?] 

“I’m hungry, that’s why. I haven’t had lunch yet.”

Siyeon tried to raise her voice and soften her congested tone, but it didn’t quite work. She reached into her bag to grab some tissues to wipe away the tears that kept flowing.

[You haven’t had lunch yet? Where are you now?] 

“I was busy. I’m on my way home. What about you, Oppa?”

With her left hand holding the phone and her right hand clutching tissues, Siyeon began walking while wiping away her tears.

[I’m at the PC bang in your neighborhood.] 

“What are you doing at our neighborhood PC bang?” 

[I was waiting for your call. I didn’t hear from you, so I thought I’d try calling.] 

“Oppa, I’m hungry.”

Even though nobody had told her to starve, feeling hungry at this moment was enough to make her feel miserable.

[Is there no restaurant nearby? Just go in anywhere, and I’ll come over. Just give me the address.]

Siyeon gave Ijun the name of a prominent store nearby, then opened the door of the convenience store next to it. Knowing that Ijun would come soon eased her mind. 

She ordered a triangle kimbap and a cup of hot instant ramen and found a seat by the window. Then, while waiting for the ramen to cook, she stuck a straw into a strawberry milk carton and started sipping. 

The cool, sweet liquid felt much better going down than before. The air conditioning inside gradually cooled her flushed cheeks. 

By the time Siyeon put a bite of well-cooked ramen into her mouth with wooden chopsticks, she had regained her usual composure. 

After finishing her meal, Siyeon bought an iced coffee and drank it. When about half of the ice in the iced coffee cup had melted, she spotted Ijun getting out of an orange taxi through the glass window. 

As Ijun glanced at his phone to make a call, Siyeon urgently tapped on the glass window to let him know she was there.

He turned his head, and their eyes met. Siyeon playfully raised her iced coffee cup into the air. Seeing Ijun’s bewildered expression, she couldn’t help but smile, feeling delighted to see him.