The woman came out of nowhere and stood outside our house. She was stunning, someone I’d never seen before. She was wearing a light blouse with a delicate pale purple floral pattern and a neatly tailored skirt. In one hand she held an ivory-coloured handbag and an umbrella, her gaze fixed on our house. Behind her stood a man who seemed to have accompanied her, waiting silently.

“Who… who are you?” 

At my surprised question, the woman turned around. She really was a lovely person.

She had almond-shaped eyes that slanted slightly upwards, a delicate nose and mouth, and a pale, slender face. Anyone who saw her could tell—it was obvious to everyone that she came from the same world as Woo-jin.

She looked me slowly, and there was a faint trace of contempt in her gaze. It grew stronger when she looked at my house, and even stronger when she looked at Grandma, who was sitting randomly in the yard. 

“Is this Han Woo-jin’s house…?” 

The man behind her spoke instead, his tone indicating that he didn’t even want to address me directly. 

“Yes?” 

My body stiffening with an unfamiliar chill. Woo-jin’s name. The woman was looking for him.

“I’m sure he was here.”

“Who are you…?” 

“I’m Han Woo-jin’s fiancée.” 

The woman’s voice, which I had never heard before, was as perfect as a fantasy. But I couldn’t understand what she meant. Fiancée… Fiancée? Someone he’s going to marry, his fiancée? 

At that moment, I heard Woo-jin stop as he walked back toward the house. The woman turned around, her beautiful eyes widening with tears welling up.

“Woo-jin.”

Then she ran to him like the wind and hugged him. At that moment, it felt as if Woo-jin, the woman and the whole world had come to a standstill.

Even after they left, my mind couldn’t return to reality. 

“Where is Jong Hyun going?”

Grandma asked, her eyes wandering absently over the fence. I didn’t know what to say. 

In August, the sea enters a fishing ban period (geumeogi), a time when marine life lays eggs and grows. During this time, the haenyeo stop diving.

At the haenyeo house, instead of selling abalone or clams, they started selling fish. They would bring in fish from the early morning fish market, release them into tanks and serve them to customers as sashimi or spicy fish stew, often accompanied by alcohol. There was no better meal for visitors enjoying the summer sea. 

That meant we’d be switching from lunch to dinner service from today. I thought it would be a good change.

Ever since that woman arrived, my mind had been in complete disarray. Keeping busy with work was the better option. That day, I worked harder than ever – I just wanted to forget everything. I didn’t even want to know who the woman was who had come looking for Woo-jin. 

While I was frantically dealing with the influx of customers who had come for dinner, the door opened again. Another unexpected guest had arrived.

“Welcome…” 

In the midst of the greeting, I froze as I saw Agwi and his group come in with a terrified look on their faces. It wasn’t just me – everyone else who lived here knew who Agwi was. Those who had been laughing and chatting while enjoying their hot soup and soju suddenly fell silent, as if cold water had been poured over them. 

Agwi didn’t care. He spread his legs wide and sat like a dog on the seat closest to the kitchen, taking up a lot of space. I wanted to run away at once, but at the same time I asked myself why I should run away. What had I done wrong? 

When I thought about it, I realised that I had no idea where my brother Jae-yeol was, and that the Haenyeo House was a place where women, stronger and tougher than men, lived.

“Are you here to eat?” 

The head Haenyeo, Aunt Myeongju, who was known to be the most formidable, turned her head and asked in a harsh voice. Agwi smiled at Aunt Myeongju before looking directly at me. 

“Soon-young, come sit here.” 

My face immediately turned pale.

“Soon-young, come here? Take the order with me.”

Aunt Myeongju said in a harsher tone.

Bang! 

At that moment, Agwi kicked the chair in front of her. The chair flew and landed at Aunt Myeongju’s feet. Startled, Aunt Myeongju instinctively jumped to her feet with an “Ugh!”. 

“You…!” 

This could ruin tonight’s business. I quickly stopped Aunt Myeongju. 

Agwi, unpredictable as ever, had probably come here with something on his mind. If he’d come to see me today, he wouldn’t have backed down so easily. 

Whatever he had to say, I decided to listen.

“It’s fine.” 

Aunt Myeongju frowned as I entered. The haenyeo peered into the shop from the kitchen, their knives shining in their hands. I paid no attention to them.

When Woo-jin left with that woman, I felt that nothing mattered anymore, not even my own life. This overwhelming despair made even Agwi seem trivial to me.

“What?” 

I asked, standing in front of Agwi. My casual tone made his lips curl in a sneer, as if to say, “Who does she think she is?” But I had no intention of speaking respectfully to someone who had caused such a commotion.

“Sit down.”

Absolutely not. I stood my ground and refused to move.

“Sit down.” 

“I’m not sitting. If you have something to say, just say it.” 

What’s the worst that could happen—death? 

“Ha… look at this girl.”

Agwi leaned in slightly, but I didn’t budge. If he had something to say, he could just say it and leave. Someone like him didn’t scare me.

Agwi raised his sharp, threatening eyes to meet my determined gaze, then smiled again. Finally he came to the point. 

“Your brother…” 

My chest tightened with a cold dread, but I didn’t let it show. This was a man who knew how to drag things out, torturing others with suspense before finally delivering the rest of his words. 

“He’s been caught in the act, hasn’t he?” 

I tightened my grip on the tray, unsure of what expression to wear. 

“When we investigated, we found that someone helped the bastard escape.”

Agwi said, clearly enjoying the moment as he tightened his grip on my throat. 

“What was his name… Han…” 

His eyes remained fixed on me. 

“…Woo-jin. Yes, Han Woo-jin. He was the leader of some absurd group – something like Abraksas or whatever – a bunch of nonsense. He recruited university students together and made them study left-wing politics. This communist bastard is the one behind this whole mess.”