The sheer number of people and the breadth of the streets were overwhelming. I couldn’t help but glance around nervously, my grip tightening on Woo-jin’s sleeve, afraid of losing him in the crowd.

It was late afternoon when we got off the bus. My hanbok, soaked with a day’s sweat, clung uncomfortably to my body and gave off a faint sour smell. Woo-jin had been unusually quiet since we arrived in Busan, and his silence made me uneasy. I bit my lip, trying to shake off the growing feeling of anxiety. Right now, it felt like Woo-jin was the only person in the world I could trust. 

As soon as we got off the bus, we hailed a taxi. Woo-jin gave the driver an unfamiliar address, making it difficult for me to ask questions in front of the driver. Was this Jae-yeol’s place? I wasn’t sure. 

As the taxi wound through unfamiliar streets bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun, I felt a strange mixture of anticipation and anxiety. Finally, the car pulled up in front of a large, traditional tile-roofed house. I stared at it in bewilderment. What was this place? 

Woo-jin stepped out of the taxi, leaving me with no choice but to follow. 

“Where are we?”

I asked nervously, but he didn’t reply. Instead, he strode directly to the front gate and pressed the doorbell. 

The gate creaked open, revealing a dignified-looking man. At first, he appeared puzzled, looking at Woo-jin as if trying to make sense of the situation. 

But the moment Woo-jin removed his fedora, the man’s eyes widened in shock.

“Young master!” 

“Young master?”

I echoed silently, standing there in shock, my mouth slightly closed. 

Beyond the gate stretched a meticulously landscaped garden, every detail of which had been designed to perfection. Tall trees, carefully trimmed into graceful shapes, stood proudly, while a pond with a charming pavilion added a touch of serene elegance to the scene. 

Just beyond the walls, it felt like a hidden paradise. I couldn’t help but stare in awe, my mouth still slightly open. 

The expansive hanok, with its sliding paper doors raised on all sides, exuded an air of tranquility and sophistication. The walls were adorned with ink paintings and framed calligraphy unlike anything I had ever seen, and every piece of furniture and decoration seemed to radiate elegance and refinement. 

Could this really be where Woo-jin was called as the young master? Was that even possible? And if so, why was he being chased by the police and accused of being a spy? 

Completely confused, I followed him inside. The living room we entered was unlike anything I had ever seen before – absolutely breathtaking. While the building itself was a traditional hanok, the living room was furnished with sophisticated western-style furniture, creating a striking contrast. 

Could I even belong in a place like this? My sweat-soaked, grimy clothes felt painfully out of place, as though I might stain the purity of this immaculate space. I felt an overwhelming urge to leave immediately. 

“Woo-jin.” 

A deep, angry voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence. An elderly man with a stern expression stood before us, glaring intently. 

“What state of mind are you in?”

Like a volcano, his anger erupted instantly, even before he had the chance to sit down. Woo-jin stood motionless, not moving a muscle, as the old man’s booming voice echoed through the room. 

“I knew this would happen the moment you started meddling with those pointless groups instead of focusing on your studies! Do you have any sense left in that head of yours? What have you been doing out there, only to show up here in this state? I’ve heard your house in Seoul is in chaos—they’re even talking about erasing your name from the family registry! What a disgraceful, ungrateful fool!” 

Yet, Woo-jin remained silent, standing there without uttering a word. 

Meanwhile, I felt completely out of place, questioning why I was even standing there. That’s when the old man’s sharp gaze landed on me. 

“And who is that woman standing next to you?” 

“A woman?!” 

It hit me then—I was still in disguise, with my bundle tucked beneath my skirt. 

“Uh… I….” 

“She’s the woman I’m going to marry.”

Woo-jin explained, his words dropping like a bomb in the middle of the room. 

“What?!” 

My startled outburst filled the air before the old man could react. What… what on earth did he say? 

“You… what is….” 

“Don’t you already have a fiancée?!” 

Once again, my indignant question cut through the room before the elderly man could unleash his anger. 

“Ah, well…”

Woo-jin started to answer, but before he could explain, the old man shouted again and I couldn’t hold back my frustration any longer. 

“What kind of man are you?!” 

Unable to hold myself back, I was the first to shout and push Woo-jin away.

*** 

“Someone I’m going to marry….” 

Looking back on that moment still makes me laugh. Nothing could have surprised me more—not even a bomb falling from the sky. 

I looked like a total mess, with my ill-conceived disguise, my fake belly sticking out, and there I was, standing in front of Woo-jin’s grandfather, pretending to be his fiancée. 

“Ridiculous… absolutely ridiculous.”

I muttered under my breath, absentmindedly stroking the photograph in my hands. 

He had been serious. Completely, unwaveringly serious. 

I should have realized it back then—Han Woo-jin was incredibly stubborn. A man whose determination couldn’t be shaken, not even by his parents or his powerful grandfather.

Once he set his mind on something, he would see it through to the end, no matter the obstacles. 

He hadn’t even proposed, and there he was, boldly declaring in front of his furious grandfather that we were getting married. How could I not be stunned? 

Who made that decision? Was that my first question? Or was it, ‘No, absolutely not!’ as I, embarrassed, fumbled to pull out the bundle hidden under my skirt in front of Woo-jin’s grandfather, who was staring at my belly in shock? I can’t remember anymore.

What I do remember is that Woo-jin’s declaration was real. Totally serious. 

I turned my head to look out the window. 

By then, the crimson sunset had deepened into a blood-red hue. 

Tears streamed down my face, unbidden. 

Even with a faint smile lingering on my lips, the tears continued to fall.