Side Story 2.1

— Does he treat you well?

“He does, of course.”

— He doesn’t give you a hard time, does he?

“No, he doesn’t. He takes care of me a lot and helps me out. Thanks to him, school life has been easier.”

— …You like him better than your dad, don’t you?

“What are you saying, Dad? To me, my dad is the best.”

— Oh, come on. You like him better. My daughter’s all grown up now, even lying to her dad.”

Even as he said that, her dad couldn’t hide the smile creeping onto his face.

Her dad always asked about Choi Dowook at the end of their phone calls. The questions were always similar: Does Choi treat you well? Does he listen to you? Does he ever make you feel upset?  

Junhee’s answers were also always the same: He treats me well, doesn’t give me a hard time, and doesn’t make me feel upset. 

Even though he got the same answers every time, her dad never forgot to ask these questions. And his final words were always the same: If he ever hurts you, even just a little, you must tell me. I’ll teach that boy a lesson.  

Of course, Dad. Junhee never tired of giving the same response every time.  

Her dad had found out about her relationship with Choi Dowook last February.  

Back then, Dowook came to Nonsan to see Junhee every single day without fail. Rain or snow, day or night—it didn’t matter. If he had an unavoidable schedule during the day or night and couldn’t see her, he would come at dawn just to meet her before heading back.  

So, it was impossible for her dad not to notice their relationship. At first, he pretended not to know, deliberately ignoring the situation. Junhee initially thought it was her dad being considerate, but later she realized it was his stubbornness, refusing to acknowledge their relationship.  

However, Choi Dowook was not someone to be easily deterred.  

‘Hello, Sir. I’m here to see Junhee.’  

Every time, he would appear in Nonsan with a bright smile, turning her dad’s mood upside down.  

‘Who’s your ‘Sir’? Why are you coming here looking for someone from Seoul?’  

‘Oh, then should I call you Father?’  

‘Who said I’m your father! Don’t call me that!’  

‘Yes, Mister.’  

‘You cheeky little brat.’ 

No matter what Dowook did, her dad seemed to dislike him. Even when Dowook brought things he knew her dad and grandmother would like every time he visited Nonsan. Even when he endured her dad’s scolding with a smile and tried to please him.  

Her dad refused to acknowledge him. Whenever Junhee subtly brought up Dowook, her dad would turn away with disinterest.  

After ignoring and avoiding the situation for so long, her dad finally acknowledged their relationship on a snowy February dawn, just days before Junhee’s college entrance.  

Junhee had been preparing for college—finding a place to stay in Seoul, organizing her belongings in her new apartment. That day, she met up with her high school friends in Seoul for the first time in a long while.  

It was a small gathering of just three people, but the reunion stretched on. Since her two closest friends were both studying abroad, they had a lot to catch up on. At the second round of drinks, Junhee had her first taste of alcohol. After just four glasses, her eyes began to glaze over.  

It was Dowook who came to pick her up. Her friends teased her, saying they had expected this to happen.  

Her friends warned Dowook, ‘Take good care of Junhee,’ while Dowook fired back, ‘Why did you keep her out so late and in this state?’  

Caught in their bickering, Junhee, oblivious to the tension, continued drinking and earned scolding from both sides.  

Leaning on Dowook’s support, she got into his car. She dozed off to the sound of his nagging, like a lullaby, and woke up when he held out his hand to help her out of the passenger seat. Rubbing her tired eyes, she exchanged light jokes with him as they walked toward her apartment building.  

When they reached the front of the building, the limping figure pacing back and forth was unmistakable.  

‘What time do you think it is right now!’  

It was her dad.  

‘I said, what time do you think it is!’  

Her dad, who rarely got angry and always laughed warmly in front of Junhee, wasn’t the same person she knew. Limping toward them in a rush, his face flushed with fury, he yelled at the top of his lungs.  

‘You two—what were you doing until this hour and where?!’

Her dad’s body trembled with anger. She had never seen him so furious.  

Dowook knelt before her dad. Junhee was sent to her room alone. Her dad had ordered her to go inside, saying he had something to discuss with Dowook. She had no choice but to obey.  

‘Wasn’t it wrong for you to act this way? Huh? I trusted you. I trusted you and left Junhee in your care. Do you think I didn’t notice? Do you think I didn’t know how you’ve been looking at my daughter with those sly eyes? I knew. I’ve known all along. But still! I trusted you, that’s what I’m saying!’

Her dad repeated himself over and over again. Even Junhee, listening from her room, grew tired of it. He wouldn’t let Dowook go.  

The gist of her dad’s words was this:  

He had known for a long time that Dowook liked Junhee, even before her college entrance exams. He had also known that their relationship had become serious after the exams.  

But he had pretended not to notice because he didn’t want to be an inflexible father. He had trusted Dowook not to do anything wrong.  

That day, he had come to Seoul for a wedding and also to bring Junhee some side dishes and fruit. But when Junhee didn’t answer his calls and her phone was turned off, he grew increasingly anxious. Past 2 a.m., he had resolved to report her missing to the police.  

Then, out of nowhere, this shameless, audacious boy appeared, holding his precious daughter’s hand. His dear Junhee.  

If Dowook truly cared for Junhee and valued her, he wouldn’t have kept her out so late. He wouldn’t have let her drink when he knew how cold the February night wind was and how weak she was with alcohol.  

‘Even if—huh? Even if my daughter grabbed your hand first, you should’ve shaken it off! The fact that you didn’t makes you the bad one!’

Her dad’s scolding grew increasingly nonsensical, to the point where even Junhee found it hard to listen.  

Looking back, it was just her dad venting his frustration. He was angry at Junhee for staying out so late, turning off her phone, and ignoring his calls. And Dowook became the target of that anger.  

What was surprising, however, was Dowook’s reaction. He knelt quietly, listening to her dad’s unreasonable words, repeatedly apologizing and admitting fault.  

Junhee thought to herself, 

He must be so tired. He should go home and rest. How long does Dad plan to keep him here?

Those thoughts lulled her to sleep.  

When she woke up, it was already 4 a.m. From outside her room, she heard the clinking of glasses.  

‘Our Junhee, you know, ever since she was just this tiny, she’s been the prettiest girl in the neighborhood. She was so famous for her beauty that even people in downtown Nonsan talked about her. Whenever I took her to town, people kept stopping me to say how beautiful she was, and I couldn’t even shop properly. I was always on edge, afraid someone might kidnap her because she was just too pretty. Wherever we went, she stood out so much.’

‘I completely understand how you felt.’

The sound of Dowook pouring soju into her dad’s glass could be heard.

‘Right? And is she just pretty? No, she’s also kind.’

‘She’s smart, cute, warm-hearted, diligent, and polite too.’

‘Exactly! You know our Junhee so well, don’t you? There were truckloads of boys after her. Truckloads! Even the grandson of the village chief next door chased after her ever since she was a baby, still wearing diapers.’

‘Ah, the neighbor’s grandson. The one next door… So there was a kid like that living there, huh.’

‘Don’t worry. If anyone even joked about wanting my daughter, I glared at them and chased them off. I told them, “What nonsense are you spouting to such a young girl?”’

What on earth were the two of them talking about? 

In their shameless banter, Junhee was the only one feeling embarrassed.

‘But, after raising Junhee so preciously, huh? Am I supposed to just hand her over to some punk who looks like a total delinquent? How do you think my heart feels about that?’

‘It must be breaking.’

Ahhh. Overwhelmed with embarrassment, Junhee buried her face in her pillow and let out a silent scream.

‘Exactly, it’s breaking. Completely shattered, and I feel so upset I could die. Honestly, I’d love nothing more than to keep her here in Nonsan forever. I don’t want to send her off to Seoul, a city full of shady people. Every day, my insides are burning. I can’t even be by her side in Seoul all the time.’

‘I’ll protect her in your place.’

‘You?’

‘I’ll make sure no one treats Woo Junhee poorly. I’ll protect her in your place, Sir. Don’t worry.’

Her dad let out a deep sigh, as if the ground beneath him might collapse. He seemed to be contemplating something.

‘…Alright, you better. After all, I’ve known you for almost ten years now. Even though you look like a delinquent, you’re not entirely hopeless. Out of everyone, you’re probably the best choice. Alright! When I’m not around, Dowook, you have to take good care of Junhee.’

And with that, her dad began to recount all the struggles of raising Junhee and the things Dowook needed to be careful about when dealing with her. Dowook listened attentively, maintaining a sincere demeanor throughout.