Prologue

“Stick this on every night before you sleep, and it’s at least a bit easier to get up the next day, you know?”

“Really? Should I try it too, then? My back feels like it’s about to break these days.”

Grandma Lee Ok-ja, who came out to buy a pain relief patch, was deep in gossip with her neighborhood friend she happened to meet. Ding, the bell rang, and just then, another grandma entered and joined the chatter.

“What does your old man do with his hands? Tell him to stick it on, bam! bam! right before bed.”

The warm yet trivial conversation continued, slowly filling the small pharmacy.

Bright sunlight soon shone down on the worn-out chairs where the three grandmas sat side by side.

Even the lint stuck to the chair and the faded, old-fashioned floral pattern made it a lovely afternoon. The sound of birds crying could be heard in the distance.

She quietly handed a pain relief patch to Grandma Lee Ok-ja and gave each of the three their favorite Bacchus drink.

“Please take this too. Oh, of course—it’s on me.”

It was a way to say they could chat comfortably, having met friends at the pharmacy during a short break. Everything here moved slowly anyway.

“Oh, you didn’t have to give us this…….”

“Is it okay for you to just hand these out, Pharmacist Jung? Won’t Pharmacist Kim come back and get angry about it later?”

Smiles appeared on the grandmas’ faces as they accepted the Bacchus. She grinned and replied cheerfully.

“She specifically told me to give you some every time you come. If there’s too much stock left, I’ll probably get scolded.”

At her my words, the three grandmas laughed like young girls. They kept talking about how her grandma, Pharmacist Kim, always made a fuss about giving things out, had big hands but seemed stingy, and so on.

“Anyway, it’s lucky you came, Pharmacist Jung. Grandma Kim is Grandma Kim, but we were all worried. Who would come down to this countryside? We thought the pharmacy would close for good. Grandma Kim should bow down and thank you, Pharmacist Jung.”

“Well, the director’s paying me well enough. I’m the grateful one.”

She smiled politely. On the dirt road outside the pharmacy window, dogs wandered by, then flopped down, tails drooping as they yawned.

“But the countryside is still the countryside……. Isn’t it uncomfortable, since you said you lived in Seoul?”

The topic of conversation soon shifted to me. She just smiled quietly, but the grandmas quickly continued.

“A young lady like you must get bored stuck in the pharmacy. There aren’t even any bachelors to meet here.”

“Right. You’re so pretty, if you went to the city, men would line up for you.”

“How do you know if Pharmacist Jung has a boyfriend or not?”

“Isn’t it obvious? What kind of man would send such a lovely girlfriend all the way to the countryside?”

The village’s unique, mixed dialects flowed back and forth. In this ‘countryside’ the grandmas always mentioned, there was only one pharmacy.

The pharmacist who originally ran this pharmacy, ‘Grandma Kim’, had gone to America where her son and daughter-in-law lived.

She said she’d be in America for two years to help look after her grandson, and when she left, the older folks in the village all clicked their tongues, saying, ‘Oh dear, what will we do without the pharmacy?’

Director Kim said that even after posting a job ad with her daughter’s help, there were no applicants for months. It was understandable, since the pharmacy was so remote and the pay wasn’t high.

When she came to see for herself, she realized it couldn’t be helped. It was a place without a nearby hospital, so few prescriptions came in and sales were low.

It was a pharmacy run more as a pastime than for profit. Director Kim said she could close it for two years, but felt sorry for the villagers who relied on it.

So when she agreed to take care of the pharmacy for two years, not only Director Kim but everyone in the village was happy.

She was young, just out of college, and had no experience working in other pharmacies, but Director Kim was grateful just to have someone willing to come.

She was glad to find a place like this. The best part was that the pharmacy was converted from a house, so she could use the second floor where Director Kim used to live. Director Kim insisted that a house needed someone living in it and refused to charge even a little rent.

Thanks to her, she could sleep comfortably every night under the crisp bedding and pink floral blanket she had freshly laundered. There was even a kimchi jar full in the yard, and Director Kim had filled the rice jar in the kitchen before leaving, telling her to eat as much as she wanted.

“Don’t you miss Seoul? You graduated from college there and lived there all along. Why don’t you even go up on weekends?”

One of the grandmas asked curiously. She sat back at the computer and answered kindly.

“Not at all. I like it here. It’s quiet.”

“Oh dear……. But these days, it’s not even quiet.”

The topic changed in an instant.

“I really hate all that construction noise. The village chief says it’ll take a long time.”

“They’re building a golf course over there, right? And they’re piping hot spring water to the resort.”

“Who would come all the way to this countryside for all that fuss?”

It hadn’t been long since a construction site appeared in this rural village, where even finding a light after 6pm was hard. Turns out, a large resort was being built on the nearby mountainside.

“Well, it’s Wigang doing it. I’m sure they’ve calculated everything.”

She blinked, turning her gaze away from the blank monitor.

Wigang.

Hearing that name made her stomach churn. In fact, every time customers talked about the resort, it happened.

She pretended to need to check something urgently and clicked the mouse pointlessly, just to avoid being dragged into that topic. And she desperately thought:

It must be a coincidence.

It must be.

It’s hard to live in Korea without seeing the name Wigang.

……It has to be a coincidence.

She quickly opened the internet to think about something else. The first screen showed an ad for ‘Wigang Home Shopping’.

With trembling hands, she immediately closed the browser.

The grandmas’ talk about the resort shifted to stories about their recent trip, about how nice the Wigang Resort facilities were.

Their chatter only ended when all three Bacchus bottles were empty. Now, saying they had to go work, the grandmas groaned as they stood, and she got up to see them off.

“Come agai…….”

Just as she tried to smile and say ‘Come again,’

Ding, the bell rang and a new customer entered. The grandmas’ eyes immediately turned to the entrance.

A moment of silence filled the pharmacy that had been noisy with chatter. Even the usual background sound of dogs barking stopped.

He was a tall young man, rare in this village.

He had a solid build and straight posture, radiating a languid yet dangerous aura.

The pharmacy wasn’t that small, but with just him inside, it felt completely full. The grandmas exchanged glances and then suddenly burst into laughter, as if something came to mind.

“Soonbok’s grandson is supposed to come today, so she’s been preparing pigs and chickens since yesterday. We should be the ones to give her the good news first.”

Apparently, word had spread in the village that Grandma Soonbok’s grandson was coming. Just that rumor was enough for the grandmas to identify a stranger, showing how rare young men were here.

“So her bragging about her handsome grandson wasn’t a lie after all.”

“We should go tell her in the field right away. The grandson she’s been waiting for is here.”

Giggling, the grandmas returned to their own chatter. Soon, everyone forgot she was in the middle of saying goodbye.

“Excuse me.”

With dark eyes and thick brows, his sculpted face commanded attention as he cut through the wave of chatter with a low voice.

“I don’t think I’m…… that person’s grandson.”

The grandmas, who had been talking about Grandma Soonbok’s grandson, opened their eyes wide. His low, relaxed, yet dangerous voice quietly echoed through the pharmacy.

“I just wanted to make sure nothing was misunderstood, so no one rushes off with urgent business.”

The grandmas quickly apologized for mistaking him, but couldn’t hide their expression of ‘then why are you here?’

“Oh, I’m…”

He slowly blinked and then lifted the corners of his mouth in a smile.

“I’m the site manager for Wigang Resort, and this is the closest pharmacy.”

At his clear answer, the grandmas nodded in understanding.

Then, saying they really had to go, they threw their empty Bacchus bottles into the pharmacy garbage bin. The sound of the bottles clinking echoed loudly.

He even opened the door for them, showing his manners. The grandmas chatted idly about how he must have come to buy ointment for an injury as they disappeared down the peaceful country road.

Now, only he and she were left in the pharmacy.

It all felt like a dream, and she braced herself. Staring blankly at the bell on the door, she stole a glance at his face.

He didn’t look so well compared to the last time she saw him.

But she was sure she looked even worse. Maybe she’d been afraid ever since she heard the news about Wigang Resort coming.

Still, she never expected him to come to the pharmacy.

He was an extremely busy man, using every minute and second. If he wanted to see her, he would call her to where he was, not come here himself.

What…… does he want from me?

The grandmas thought his answer was plausible, but honestly, everything he said was unreasonable from start to finish.

The site manager of Wigang Resort coming alone to a far-off country pharmacy to buy ointment was nonsense. There would definitely be emergency medicine at the site. Even if not, he could send someone else.

He put his hands in his pockets and slowly approached the inside of the pharmacy.

The atmosphere, which had been relaxed with the grandmas’ chatter, suddenly tightened. His steady gaze was fixed on me.

Feeling as if she was being pierced, she secretly clutched the edge of her pharmacist’s coat. The old blouse she wore under the white coat suddenly felt embarrassing.

He approached with slow footsteps and sat on the chair where the grandmas had been.

The old coffee stains and frayed corners of the chair didn’t suit him at all, making it hard to breathe.

Unable to guess what to say, she kept silent.

In the end, it was the man who broke the heavy silence in the pharmacy.

“It’s been a while.”

She parted her lips but couldn’t say anything. Having left like a criminal, she couldn’t just say ‘Yes, it has.’

He tilted his head, staring at her.

“But you don’t seem interested in selling medicine.”

“…….”

No matter how she thought about it, he didn’t seem like a regular customer, but he looked at her mockingly and asked. She took a trembling breath and met his eyes.

“What would you like?”

She tried to sound calm, but her voice quivered.

Did she always speak like this to new customers? Should she have said, ‘Do you need anything?’ Or ‘Welcome’? Even simple greetings felt awkward, but she doubted he cared about such things.

“Hmm…….”

He openly showed he hadn’t come for anything in particular. He looked around carelessly and then smirked.

“Well, that seems popular here, so I’ll have one of those.”

He pointed with his long finger at the Bacchus bottles in the trash. Like in a dream, she took out a Bacchus, handed it to him, mechanically stated the price, and he deliberately opened the cap and drank slowly in front of her.

She quickly looked away from the movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed.

“Not bad.”

He rolled the empty bottle in his palm, slowly tracing the big red letters ‘Fatigue Recovery’ with his thumb. Then, he tossed the bottle into the trash and said,

“No wonder it’s popular.”

The empty bottle clattered as it fell. She said nothing, standing firm as if in battle.

She thought about not stopping him even if he didn’t pay, but he took out his wallet and placed a 50,000 won bill down. Then, as she reached for change, he grabbed her wrist.

“Advance payment.”

“…Excuse me?”

“It’s so effective for fatigue recovery, I’ll buy it often. It’s annoying for both of us to deal with small change every time.”

Before she could say anything, he let go of her wrist. Even that light touch burned like fire.

Oddly enough, it was only much later that she remembered, ‘Card payment is available too.’

Just as she was barely able to say those words, the bell rang, ding. A new grandma customer dressed in purple entered. It was Grandma Lee Soonbok, whom the other grandmas had mentioned earlier. As soon as Grandma Soonbok met her eyes, she spoke with a bright smile.

“Um… I came to buy the best supplement for when the body feels weak. Ah! There was one Grandma Kim recommended last time, its name was Peto… something. Could you show me that? My grandson is coming today, so I want to give him some too. Last time I saw him, his face was so thin! Maybe it’s because work is tough….”

“Ah, yes. Please wait just a moment.”

She actually felt relieved. She barely managed a smile and nodded. The medicine Grandma Soonbok mentioned was on the top shelf near the entrance. She stood on tiptoe and stretched her hand as far as she could, but the man was suddenly behind her.

Even though his hand hadn’t touched hers, her whole body tensed up. Right by her ear, his long arm reached up and easily grabbed the box she’d been trying to get.

“This one, right? Petocradin tablets.”

At that moment, Grandma Soonbok clapped her hands excitedly. It was Grandma Soonbok who thanked him for helping.

With trembling hands, she accepted the medicine box and headed to the counter. Ding, the bell rang again. The sound of the man leaving.

After Grandma Soonbok left too, she was finally alone and discovered the 50,000 won bill he had left behind.

She only noticed now, but between the folded bills was a business card.

She stared at the card for a long time, which read: ‘Wigang Construction Senior Executive Director Ryu-il.’

Come to think of it, it was the first time she’d ever received his business card. He might hand out dozens of these cards every day, but she was only now receiving one.

Well…

They weren’t in a relationship where she could receive something like this openly.

“Ah….”

She collapsed into a chair, pressing her forehead with both hands.

The sound of village dogs barking mixed with the distant noise of golf course construction. In the end, she cried a little, alone.

* * *

That night, she couldn’t sleep at all.

She kept opening and closing the window, thinking she heard the sound of golf course construction. Of course, there was no way construction was happening at night. She was just overly sensitive, wandering all night in a world of hallucinated sounds.

“Ah, Senior Executive Director…. P-please, enough….”

“Hee-won, if you’re going to ask for something, you need to look me in the eyes.”

“Ah… S-senior Executive Director… I-I really can’t… I looked in your eyes… why….”

“I don’t usually grant other people’s requests.”

“…….”

“Staring at me like that is cute, just like when you were little.”

The hallucinated construction sounds kept mixing with other memories. It had already been half a year, but maybe because she recalled it so often, the memory was shockingly vivid. The secret, wet sounds of countless nights flashed through her mind, and she buried her face in the pillow, groaning for a long time.

Wigang Construction Senior Executive Director Ryu-il.

No matter how she tried to dress it up, their relationship could only be described as ‘a casual bed partner’ at best.

Even that was only because she clung desperately, barely managing to share a bed with him as if receiving charity. She was always awkward, and from the middle onward, she would beg him to stop. Even now, she found her own behavior ridiculous.

Her embarrassing moments in bed didn’t end there. After their time together, she would fall asleep as if fainting, and every dawn, she would wake up and cry quietly.

“Why are you crying? You were the one who came to me first.”

“Hhic, sob. Hhhuuu….”

“You got what you wanted. You slept with me.”

She cried endlessly, every time. Even as she cried, she always thought: even she would never sleep with someone like this again.

Yet, every time she cried, he would utter cold words but still wipe her tears away himself. If she didn’t stop, he would hold her in his arms, comforting her in silence. When she heard his complicated sighs right by her ear, she strangely felt like she wanted to die just like that.

“…Don’t cry.”

“Hhic… hic, I-I’m sorry….”

“…….”

Their dawns were always like that. The pleasure of their nights together always ended with her tears.

In the endless hallucinated sounds of construction, his words ‘Don’t cry’ mixed in, and she cried alone, just like back then.

Just like that very first day she had begged him to sleep with her.

It felt like a lifetime ago, but in reality, it was just last year.