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Chapter 2
“Did you really think your dad and I would just leave you alone in this big house?”
Impossible. The grand picture she had painted in her head came crashing down in an instant. This couldn’t be happening. Wasn’t there some way to persuade them?
Yeo-reum’s mind spun furiously. She needed to say something—anything—before it was too late. The words tumbled out, stammered and awkward.
“Th-then… w-what about this house? You’ll need a place to stay whenever you visit Korea. If I stay here, it’ll be perfect—you and Dad can come anytime!”
Her mother, Eun-sook, cut her off without hesitation.
“Sell it, of course. Why worry when your aunt is right here?”
Sell it? This house, where she had lived since she was six years old? The sudden prospect of parting from it filled Yeo-reum with a wave of sorrow.
Every spring, the train tracks in the distance bloomed with azaleas and forsythia, painting the view outside their apartment window with a breathtaking palette. The spicy tteokbokki from the corner snack shop, the tiny stationery store where she had spent countless afternoons—there wasn’t a single place here untouched by her memories.
And most of all… Boram. To be apart from her? That was unthinkable. Even if she moved to another city, seeing her every day would be impossible. If she went all the way to Canada, once a year might be too much to hope for.
The thought of leaving everything behind without even the chance to prepare her heart was unbearable.
Seeing her daughter’s lips jut out in a pout, Eun-sook slid in another option, almost casually.
“If you hate it that much, how about living with your aunt? She’s in Building 3, so you wouldn’t even have to change schools.”
Her aunt—who had long ago declared herself a “glamorous single” and lived only with two cats and two dogs. Whenever Yeo-reum visited, her aunt would whip up all sorts of fun and delicious dishes. She liked her aunt a lot, but… living with her was a whole different matter.
Her aunt adored both her and her older sister, treating them as if they were her own children. That love, unfortunately, came packaged with nagging—nagging even worse than their mother’s. For seventeen-year-old Yeo-reum, already overwhelmed by one parent’s scolding, the thought of doubling it was enough to make her hesitate.
Her lack of enthusiasm was plain to see. So Eun-sook dangled yet another possibility.
“Then how about moving to Yangsan?”
“Yangsan? Out of nowhere?”
“Your sister lives there. She said it’s fine. She could help you with your studies, too. You never ask her anything, but don’t underestimate your sister. You think she got into one of the top foreign language universities in Korea for nothing? Living with her might give you some motivation.”
Her older sister, Han Ga-eul, was five years ahead of her. Cynical yet caring—the very image of an eldest child. Living with her wouldn’t be a problem at all; their personalities meshed just fine.
But the thought of being tutored by her sister? Terrifying. She still remembered, all too vividly, the sting from years ago: asking a middle school science question, failing to understand the explanation, and being called—
“Are you stupid or what?”
The insult had cut so deep that she had never again asked her sister for help.
“C-can’t I just live on my own? I can cook for myself, I promise….”
“No. Pick one right now. Canada, your aunt, or your sister. Which?”
“You expect me to decide right this second? If I live with my sister, what about school?”
“You’ll have to transfer, of course.”
At that moment, everything became clear. They had planned this. Her aunt and sister were already on board—it was obvious she was the last to know, deliberately left out. They were giving her no room to argue, no chance to dig in her heels.
Her family knew her too well. And so, reluctantly, she weighed her options. Living with her sister sounded… almost like independence.
Sensing her daughter’s leanings, Eun-sook finally played her trump card.
“Her apartment’s right next to both a middle school and a high school. Same foundation, too. And guess what? They’re co-ed.”
Co-ed?
Yeo-reum’s ears pricked up.
Her mother’s sly smile confirmed she had hit the bull’s-eye.
“The high school’s opening was delayed because of construction, so the entrance ceremony is next week. Same as the school you were assigned to. Just a day apart, actually.”
She added that starting on the same day as the other students would make it less awkward, even as a transfer.
“Well? What do you think?”
“Uh…”
“You were so disappointed about being placed in an all-girls school. This way, you’ll be surrounded by boys. Plenty of them.”
“Mom!”
Her voice shot up, flustered. Had her secret excitement been that obvious?
The answer, however, was already decided. Shifting from foot to foot, she finally admitted it.
“Then… I’ll live with my sister.”
“Good. Did you see the boxes stacked up on the veranda? Two should be enough. Pack away anything you don’t need right now. The moving company will take those. As for essentials, put them in this suitcase—we’ll bring it over tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Mm-hm. Your sister asked you to come right away once you decided. She wants to show you around before school starts.”
“Fine. Still… it’ll be awkward showing up at the entrance ceremony as a transfer.”
“Can’t be helped.”
“You say that like it’s nothing.”
“Because it’s not my problem.”
“Wow. Thanks a lot.”
“Quit whining and pack your things.”
The next day, Yeo-reum visited her sister’s new place for the first time.
Three four-story villas stood side by side, and Ga-eul’s apartment was on the second floor of the first building, closest to the gate. The university was about twenty minutes away by bus—not bad at all. Most of the residents here were students.
To Yeo-reum, her sister seemed so grown-up, living independently among her peers. A small part of her was envious, and another part was giddy at the thought of being around so many college students.
After touring the apartment, the sisters strolled around the neighborhood. The market alley nearby charmed her immediately. No towering high-rises here—just a warm, lived-in atmosphere.
And sure enough, as their mother had said, her new schools were right around the corner.
‘Hwiyeong Middle, Hwiyeong High… what a pretty name.’
The middle school’s front gate opened to a bus stop nearby, and across the street sat a stationery shop and snack bar.
Ga-eul paused at the bus stop and explained, “Our building’s side alley leads to the back gate. This here’s the front. From there, you walk straight past the uniform shop, turn right, and that’s the high school entrance. Got it?”
“Yeah, I remember. The stone path, right?”
“You can remember that much, can’t you?”
“Of course. But, unnie…”
“What?”
“Why have you been talking in Seoul dialect this whole time?”
“Wait until you’re in college. When you’re around people from all over, your accent just… blends.”
“Oh. The old accent’s back.”
“Anyway, I’ve got to stop by campus. Here’s your mission—find your way back home by yourself. Can you handle that?”
“Duh. Easy.”
“Good. Call me if you get lost.”
But confidence was one thing—reality was another.
The maze of alleys soon swallowed her sense of direction. After wandering in circles, she found herself completely lost.
“Where… am I?”
She was close to tears but stubbornly refused to call her sister. Pride was on the line.
She plopped down on a bench to think. Just then, a noisy group of boys spilled out of one of the side streets.
“You begged me to take it, and now you’ve lost it? Unreal, man.”
“Damn it, where is it? I looked awesome in that shot.”
“Ha! Please. I looked way better. Want proof? This is no joke.”
The ruckus made her think of the photo booth session she’d had the day before at “MiniMiniMall.”
Maybe she could ask them for directions.
Swallowing her nerves, she approached.
“Um, excuse me. Could you tell me how to get to Geumbit Apartments?”
“Geumbit? Oh, that’s the complex right behind here.”
“Yeah, that’s the one.”
They even pointed out the way, surprisingly friendly. Grateful, she thanked them over and over before hurrying off. She thought she heard them say something else behind her, but she didn’t have the energy to care.
All that mattered was making it back home without her sister ever knowing she’d gotten lost.
She did. Barely.
And so the day passed.
Until finally—the first day at her new school, Hwiyeong High, arrived.
