Chapter 12.1 – Back Home

Two months later.  

Seo Moonkyeong had settled into a red house in a rural village in Canada.  

She spent her days leisurely, pulling weeds from the lawn and planting flower seeds. Living amidst green grass and soil brought a sense of calm and fulfillment to her life.  

It was as if she had become Anne of Green Gables.  

Every day, she cycled along country roads, occasionally sleeping in until the sun was high in the sky, basking in an indescribable sense of freedom.  

And then, two more months passed. By that time, she was in Russia.  

One day, while sipping coffee among the flowers in front of her house, she suddenly felt an overwhelming emptiness.  

She decided to embark on a long journey. Without much planning, she packed lightly and flew straight to the neighboring United States.  

After traveling through Mexico, Brazil, France, and Italy, she arrived in Russia on a day when it rained so heavily it seemed like the sky had opened up.  

Naturally, her steps led her to the rehearsal studio of the Olga Ballet Company, where she ran into an old colleague, Dennis.  

“Moonkyeong! How long has it been? I heard you got married. Even here, people talked about it. Congratulations!”  

Moonkyeong gave an awkward smile.  

“Yeah, I got married… and divorced.”  

“Oh no.”  

Apparently unaware of her divorce, Dennis stammered in surprise and suggested they grab a cup of coffee.  

Since the rain was pouring, and she wanted to rest indoors anyway, Moonkyeong nodded readily.  

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she grabbed Dennis by the shoulder.  

“Dennis, let me choose the café.”  

“Sure.”  

The café hadn’t changed much since back then. Memories of those early mornings, sipping coffee every Wednesday, flooded back, captivating her.  

“Coffee?”  

Dennis, standing at the counter, asked her.  

“No, I’ll just have orange juice.”  

“Got it. Go grab a seat. I’ll bring it over.”  

“Thanks.”  

While Dennis fetched their drinks, Moonkyeong sat alone at a table by the window.  

The long journey she had taken felt as though it had all been leading her here. A sense of calm and peace enveloped her. She had sought comfort for the loss she had felt and wanted to find something she had lost.  

It felt like that something was here, and she smiled brightly at the thought.  

Dennis returned with their drinks and sat across from her.  

“So, have you gained weight since quitting ballet? You look a bit different now.”  

“Well, I eat well and sleep well. But how do you even know I quit ballet? You seem to know everything about me.”  

“Of course. Did you forget how much I cared about you?”  

“Oh.”  

Dennis laughed boldly.  

“Don’t worry. I’m married too, and I’ve got two daughters. Want to see their pictures?”  

“Really? Sure, show me.”  

Dennis, now a doting father, was a far cry from the charismatic and masculine figure he had been during their ballet days. He now wore a playful expression.  

“Aren’t they beautiful?”  

“Yes, they’re absolutely lovely.”  

“But why did you quit ballet? You were one of the best.”  

Moonkyeong shrugged nonchalantly, then let her shoulders drop.  

“I didn’t like it.”  

“What?”  

Dennis was so shocked that he spilled some of his coffee on the table. Even as Moonkyeong wiped it up with a tissue, he couldn’t hide his disbelief.  

“You didn’t like it?”  

“Yeah.”  

“No way. You were always the last one to leave the rehearsal studio. There’s no way you hated it.”  

“Well, I had a debt to repay.”  

Seeing the depth in her eyes, Dennis sensed there was a story behind her words.  

“So, did you repay it?”  

“Yes.”  

Not long ago, Attorney Jo had informed her that she was legally free from the family ties to Seo Jaewoo and Do Hyeran.  

She needed to create a new surname and family name, but she was still deliberating on that.  

As she stared out the window, Dennis broke the silence again.  

“Your husband—well, ex-husband—he’s still famous here.”  

“Huh?”  

“He graduated from the music department, didn’t he?”  

“Oh.”  

Her hand, which had been fiddling with the straw in her juice, trembled slightly. That’s right. Now that she thought about it, she had never seen him play the piano.  

With an awkward expression, she took a long sip from her straw.  

“Was it the year you went to Germany? Or the year after? There was this famous professor at the music department named Elena.”  

“What about her?”  

“Didn’t you hear?”  

“Hear what?”  

“She died. Because of a piece your ex-husband composed.”  

“……”  

Dennis’s story was shocking. Elena, who had fallen for Seojun at first sight, had pursued him persistently. After being rejected several times, she ultimately took her own life.  

Moonkyeong, unable to understand, asked Dennis again.  

“But why would that be because of his music?”  

Dennis nodded. He explained that the Moscow music department’s graduation exams that year had been open to the public.  

The program consisted of a 40-minute recital with pieces from different eras, followed by an original composition. Seojun’s final piece had caused a stir.  

Moonkyeong leaned in closer to listen.  

“Explain it properly.”  

“You’d have to hear the piece to understand. Oh, I think I still have a recording of it on my laptop back home. Filming and recording were strictly prohibited, but you know me—I was kind of a social butterfly back then and wanted to show it to others.”  

“And?”  

“Well, the piece was extraordinary. Anyone could tell it was a love song—passionate and desperate. It even moved me to tears. Imagine how Elena must have felt. She was a professor, so she must have understood it perfectly. She realized that her beloved student had a love she could never compete with.”  

“That’s ridiculous. Why would she die over that?”  

“Well, who knows if that was the real reason. She also had financial troubles. But everyone who attended that recital whispered about it. Maybe someone spread the rumors on purpose. Only she would know the truth.”  

“……Yeah.”  

“Later, when we found out your ex-husband was part of a famous royal family in Korea, and when we saw news articles about your wedding, we all wondered if you were the inspiration for that piece.”  

“……”  

“Was it you?”  

Moonkyeong forced herself to remain calm and shook her head.  

“No.”  

“Alright. If you say it wasn’t, then it wasn’t.”  

“Yeah.”  

The two continued to exchange stories about the past and their current lives.  

As Dennis stood to leave for his next appointment, Moonkyeong made a request.  

“Dennis, if you find that recital video, could you send it to me?”  

“Sure, I will.”  

“Thanks.”  

“See you again.”  

After Dennis left the café, Moonkyeong remained there for a long time.  

The aroma of coffee filled the air. She wanted just one cup. Rising from her seat, she approached the counter.  

“Do you have decaf coffee?”  

“Yes.”  

“Then I’ll have one, please.”  

As she handed over her card, she gently rubbed her belly several times.  

It had been two months since she found out she was pregnant.  

Dubu had been sick for over a week. On the day Moonkyeong took the poor dog to a nearby veterinary clinic, she anxiously clasped her hands together in prayer while waiting for the urgent surgery to finish.  

Her gaze fell upon a poster hanging in the hospital hallway. It was nothing more than an informational poster about animal neutering, but it gave her an odd sense of déjà vu.  

She hadn’t realized how much time had passed while settling into her unfamiliar life in Canada. On her way home, she bought a pregnancy test.  

The next day, she visited an obstetrician and found out she was pregnant.  

The little seed planted by him was growing healthily, despite her ignorance of its existence.  

She thought, perhaps, that the baby was a blessing from God and the last gift Seojun had given her.  

She had enough money to raise the child on her own, and the house had a large yard where she could run around with Dubu.  

Even though the baby wouldn’t receive a father’s love, she believed the mother’s love would be more than enough.  

Yet, despite her resolve, she missed him. Unable to bear the emptiness, Moonkyeong had embarked on this long journey.  

Back at her lodging, Moonkyeong patted Dubu, who jumped into her arms.  

“Sorry, I’m a bit late because I stopped for coffee. You must’ve been bored waiting alone, huh?”  

She pulled out a new snack she had bought for Dubu.  

Dubu, who had been sulking about being left alone, wagged his tail as if nothing had happened.  

Moonkyeong stretched out on the bed. Soon, her belly would start to show, and she needed to prepare for childbirth.  

Turning her head toward Dubu, who was munching on his snack, she spoke softly.  

“Dubu, let’s go back to Canada. Back to our home.”  

Whether he understood or not, Dubu looked cheerful. Moonkyeong smiled warmly, following his lead.