***

A faded photograph. It was a picture of Woo-jin and me, taken in Busan. It was from the time when Jae-yeol was almost ready to leave for America. Before he left, the three of us went to a photo studio and took this picture.

It was the happiest time of my life.

The men may have been weighed down by their own worries, but I, blissfully unaware, knew nothing of it.

I just wished them to be safe. That no harm would come to them. That we would all be happy.

The photograph, its surface worn from too much touching, especially on the faces. The tears I’ve shed over it have left it crumpled and wrinkled. Yet I still find myself holding it, running my fingers over it, as if something might emerge from the image, as if I could bring it back through touch. It has become a habit – looking at it, again and again.

I remember his soft hands measuring my body.

I remember his face, smiling softly as he said, “Yes.”

Ah, Woo-jin… Woo-jin…

***

7 a.m., Busan Port.

The morning had finally come for Jae-yeol to leave for America. I hadn’t slept all night. Although the thought of saying goodbye to him made my chest hurt, I quickly shook it off. This wasn’t the time to lose such a precious chance to save his life because of trivial sentimentality.

I had carefully packed everything Jae-yeol might need for his journey. I made sure to include doenjang, gochujang and even gochugaru. Koreans need these things. No matter how rich and prosperous America might be, they wouldn’t have many Korean goods.

As I packed these seemingly insignificant items, a wave of nostalgia washed over me – memories of the sea, Aunt Myungju and the haenyeo women. The new diving season would start in the autumn. Would I be able to return to Chungmu safely? Was Grandma all right?

When I stepped outside, Woo-jin was already there, waiting for me.

Today, Woo-jin had told the driver to go and insisted on driving himself. The idea of Woo-jin driving felt so strange and new to me.

“Are you ready?”

I nodded brightly and answered enthusiastically. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight – it was a perfect morning. We drove towards the harbour, the car moving smoothly along the road. Jae-yeol, who had been staying near Busan port, said he would walk there from Del Mundo tailor shop.

But then the memories I didn’t want to remember began to surface.

Monsters haunted those nightmares.

Jae-yeol was there, smiling at me, but behind him was Agwi. My face froze in horror and then I saw them – black cars speeding towards Jae-yeol. People poured out of them, rushing forward.

They dragged Jae-yeol down and threw him to the ground. I screamed as I watched.

Next to me, Woo-jin grabbed my arm to protect me. Then, without hesitation, he drove the car straight at the group. The sudden, aggressive attack caused some of them to scatter.

Woo-jin flung the car door open with a kick and leapt out, instantly engaging in a fight with the men. Agwi seized Woo-jin by the collar and swung a punch, but Woo-jin dodged swiftly and retaliated by slamming his head into Agwi’s with raw, unrelenting force.

I jumped out of the car and ran frantically to Jae-yeol, who was lying on the ground. Dropping to my knees, I cradled him and helped him to sit up, noticing blood trickling down his forehead. 

More people, more cars – they kept coming. 

Woo-jin yelled at Jae-yeol to run and leave his bag behind. I wrapped my arm around Jae-yeol and helped him to move as fast as possible. 

Bwoooooong!

The deep sound of a ship’s horn echoed through the air.

I paused for a moment to grab the fallen bag, but the zip had come loose, spilling the contents all over the floor.

Someone grabbed Jae-yeol’s neck. Without thinking, I sank my teeth into his hand. The man yelped, then turned around and pulled my hair viciously.

Before I could react, Woo-jin was there. He rushed forward and knocked the man down with a powerful punch.

“Run!”

Who had shouted that?

“Jae-yeol, run!”

It was probably Woojin.

Jae-yeol took off running and Woo-jin and I followed close behind. A few passers-by collided with us as we ran, some of them falling to the ground in confusion.

I thought I heard a sharp whistle.

“We have to split up!”

Woojin shouted.

Woo-jin and I turned left while Jae-yeol fled to the right. Intentionally drawing Agwi’s attention, we dashed across the street, weaving through honking cars and screeching brakes. Amidst the chaos, Agwi’s piercing gaze fixed on me with terrifying intensity.

As soon as we saw Jae-yeol disappear into the crowd, Woo-jin and I kept running. His grip on my hand was tight, his palm slick with sweat.

“Run, Soon-young. Run!”

I ran, gasping for air, my lungs feeling tighter than when I dive deep underwater. My legs felt heavy, as if they were weighed down with anchors. Around us, screams echoed from every direction, and the desperation in Woo-jin’s pull on my arm was undeniable.

Agwi wasn’t after Jae-yeol anymore. He was after us. I could feel his gaze boring into the back of my head, a predator fixed on its prey.

We darted through an alley, turned another corner, knocked over a sign and pushed past more people. At this rate, we’d get caught! I could feel Agwi’s frenzied screams vibrating through my body as he chased us like a madman.

Suddenly, Woo-jin flung open a door. It seemed to be an abandoned shop, with broken furniture scattered about like beasts lurking in the shadows.

Before I could react, Woo-jin pulled me in. No, he pushed me inside.

“What?”

I gasped, breathless, as I turned to face him. My eyes met his, his intense gaze piercing through me.

“Why?”

The question escaped my lips reflexively, desperate for an answer.

Woo-jin just stared at me, silent, without a word.

“Woo-jin?”

I called, my voice shaking, and he finally spoke.

“Stay here. Don’t come out, Soon-young. No matter what.”

“What?”

A shiver ran down my spine, cold and foreboding. As I tried to move towards him, clang! the metal door slammed shut.

Startled, I immediately pushed against it, but it wouldn’t budge. It seemed to be locked or jammed from the outside.

“W..woojin… woo-jin! Woojin!”

I screamed in panic, banging on the door. All I could hear was the sound of something crashing outside, followed by heavy, frantic footsteps. And then more shouting – angry, desperate voices, muffled by the thick door.

I screamed and banged on the door, but the sound of footsteps faded. Finally there was nothing – just silence.