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Chapter 2
Late that evening, after the ancestral rites had ended, an unusual silence settled over the dining table.
The conversation had already died down. The only sounds disturbing the air were the occasional clinks of utensils.
Sahae picked up her chopsticks and put a mouthful of rice into her mouth. She barely chewed, managing only to swallow it.
It was always like this.
Meals in this house invariably left her feeling as though she had indigestion. Dinner after the ancestral rites was particularly unbearable. More than the food, it was her heart that felt blocked.
Watching Sahae’s sluggish movements, Sun-ae clicked her tongue.
The sharp sound echoed through the room.
“When you should be stuffing yourself with food, you sit there picking at it like that. Keep this up, and even the blessings you already have will run away. Honestly, how do you expect the Goddess of Childbirth to bless you with a child?”
She spoke in a low voice, almost as though talking to herself. But at the quiet dining table, her words cut through the air like a blade.
Then—
Clack!
Joo-hyuk’s spoon struck the table as he put it down. The sound immediately drew Sun-ae’s attention.
“Mother…”
His voice was low and firm.
“I suppose you think of your son as some kind of breeding stud.”
The atmosphere around the table twisted in an instant.
Sun-ae’s eyes widened.
“Y-You! What on earth are you saying?”
Joo-hyuk’s gaze remained unwavering.
“Otherwise, why do you bring up having children every single time this woman and I come here?”
“Well, that’s because…”
Sun-ae sighed before continuing.
“It’s not the seed that’s the problem. The field just isn’t fertile enough.”
Her words lingered over the table, stickier than grease clinging to a spoon.
Sahae’s fingertips stiffened momentarily.
She set down her spoon with unusual care, lowered her head, and spoke softly.
“I’m sorry, Mother…”
At those words, Joo-hyuk’s eyes flashed.
His gaze, sharp as the tip of a blade, pierced through Sahae.
Why are you apologizing?
That was what his eyes seemed to say.
A brief silence followed. Within it, the tension swelled like bubbles about to burst.
The scraping sound of a chair broke the stillness.
Joo-hyuk stood up.
“Just as I expected, food eaten during ancestral rites never tastes good. We’ll take our leave now.”
Sahae looked up in surprise.
“Get up.”
His tone was curt, leaving no room for argument.
After hesitating for a moment, Sahae swallowed and carefully rose from her seat.
Just as she was about to bow in farewell, Sun-ae’s voice struck the back of her head.
“Driver Lee has put some medicine in the car. Joo-hyuk, make sure she takes it properly. And don’t forget to take yours, either.”
Sahae turned around and bowed.
“Yes, Mother.”
Without saying anything, Joo-hyuk grabbed Sahae by the wrist.
There was no hesitation in his grip.
His hand was firm and strong, leaving no room for resistance. He immediately started walking toward the entrance, pulling her along with him.
The car was even quieter than the dining room had been.
Finding the silence unbearable, Sahae turned her gaze toward the window.
The city lights reflected off the glass, their glow drifting across her face.
They were passing through the academy district of Daechi-dong.
Perhaps classes had just ended, because students were pouring out of the buildings in droves.
Despite the late hour, they emerged in small groups, each wearing a different expression.
Sahae’s eyes followed them.
Girls walked arm in arm with their friends, laughing cheerfully, while boys exchanged jokes and playful banter.
Their faces looked tired in the late-night air, yet there was a warmth about them.
It was almost as though that warmth could seep through the glass.
Sahae’s eyes wavered for a moment.
Then, without realizing it, a faint smile appeared at the corners of her lips.
A long time ago, when she had been their age, she must have worn a similar expression.
It had been a time when the world was a little simpler and her heart considerably lighter.
In front of the Daechi-dong academy district, beside the convenience store window glowing with fluorescent lights.
Sahae and Hari sat side by side at a small table near the window.
Two triangular rice balls, one spicy chicken cup ramen, and one cup of jajang ramen.
That was their humble dinner.
“Haah… When is spring finally going to come to my life?”
Hari sighed, burying her face over the steaming cup of ramen.
There was a peculiar sincerity in her voice, mixed with equal parts resignation and playfulness.
Sahae casually stirred her noodles with her chopsticks before replying.
“I’ve been dragging a suitcase around this neighborhood since I was seven. I don’t think that spring you’re talking about is coming anytime soon.”
Hari’s eyes widened.
“What? Since you were seven?”
“Yeah.”
Sahae answered briefly, then smiled as though it were nothing unusual.
“Wow. I thought it was suffocating even when I first came here in middle school. You started doing that when you were seven?”
Sahae chuckled.
“Yep. Dragging a suitcase around.”
Hari stared at her in amazement.
“Unbelievable. So you’re one of those legendary ‘Daechi Kids’ I’ve only ever heard about?”
“Yeah. But there are plenty of kids like me around here. If you walk around long enough, every kid you bump into is probably a Daechi Kid.”
Sahae resumed stirring her noodles.
Hari put down her chopsticks and asked seriously,
“But how did you manage to endure all those years?”
Sahae paused briefly.
Then she picked up her cup ramen, stirred the noodles, and smiled.
“With spicy food.”
Hari’s mouth fell open as she watched Sahae chuckle and put another mouthful of noodles into her mouth.
“Wow. So that’s why you can eat that insanely spicy ramen without even blinking!”
Hari shook her head in disbelief and clapped her hands.
“Do you know why I like spicy food?”
“Why?”
Sahae gave her a mischievous smile.
“It hurts while you’re eating it, but once you’re done, you feel fine again. It’s kind of… like life, don’t you think?”
Hari stared at her blankly before letting out a snort of laughter.
“Hwa Sahae. Your ability to convince yourself that everything is fine is seriously on another level.”
“Hey, the noodles are getting soggy. Just hurry up and eat.”
At Sahae’s gesture, Hari quickly picked up her chopsticks.
Sahae was busily devouring her spicy chicken ramen when—
“Hey. Hey, Sahae.”
Hari suddenly poked her in the side.
“What? What is it? Just say it.”
With noodles still hanging from her mouth, Sahae shot Hari a sideways glance.
But instead of answering, Hari poked her again.
This time, even harder.
“Ah! Seriously! What’s wrong with you?”
“Just lift your head.”
“Why? What is it?”
Sahae reluctantly raised her head, still holding noodles in her mouth.
And that was when it happened.
Beyond the convenience store window, two male students were walking side by side beneath the streetlights.
The moment one of them turned his head, his eyes met Sahae’s directly.
For a brief moment, time seemed to stop.
Unable to swallow or spit out the noodles hanging from her mouth, Sahae froze.
Hari whispered almost without moving her lips, like a ventriloquist.
“It’s Moon Joo-hyuk and… Cha Kang-woo.”
Her voice grew increasingly excited.
“Look at them! Two flowers blooming in this godforsaken place. Seriously, they’re so damn handsome. I could stare at them forever and never get tired of it.”
Sahae remained frozen with noodles in her mouth, managing only an awkward smile.
“Everyone’s obsessed with Moon Joo-hyuk, but I’m definitely Team Cha Kang-woo. Look at him. Just looking at him is therapeutic.”
While Hari gushed excitedly, one of the two boys outside casually draped an arm over his friend’s shoulder.
“Moon Joo-hyuk, what are you looking at?”
Joo-hyuk slowly turned his head toward Kang-woo.
A faint smile spread across his lips.
“Nothing. I just thought it was funny.”
The two boys walked past the convenience store, their shoulders brushing against each other.
Their retreating figures gradually grew smaller beneath the streetlights.
Hari continued watching them in silence for a long while before slowly turning toward Sahae.
“Sahae…”
Her voice trembled strangely.
“Hmm?”
Sahae answered absentmindedly, still looking out the window.
“Your face…”
Sahae turned around.
“What about my face?”
Hari’s lips moved as though she wanted to say something. But in the end, she couldn’t get the words out and burst into laughter instead.
“Oh, seriously. There’s no way I can explain this. Just look in a mirror.”
Frowning, Sahae accepted the small hand mirror Hari held out to her.
And the moment she saw her reflection—
“AAAH!!!”
A scream loud enough to shake the entire convenience store erupted.
A thick smear of red, spicy chicken ramen sauce covered the area beneath Sahae’s chin.
A long red streak had run down from her lower lip, making it look exactly like a beard.
Hari clutched her stomach and burst into laughter.
Sahae hurriedly grabbed some tissues and wiped her mouth in a panic, but before long, she too burst out laughing.
The laughter of the two girls spilled through the convenience store window and scattered into the night.
Resting his head against the headrest, Joo-hyuk slightly turned toward the window.
His gaze, half-hidden beneath lowered eyelids, shifted toward Sahae sitting beside him.
Her eyes were fixed somewhere outside.
The streetlights streamed across the car window, their gentle glow rippling over Sahae’s face.
As though reaching for something buried deep within an old memory, the corners of her lips curved into a faint smile.
At that moment, Joo-hyuk’s gaze came to a stop.
His eyes followed her expression and drifted toward the scenery outside.
The dazzling signs of Daechi-dong shone beyond the glass, while streams of students filled the academy district.
The streets were bathed in light.
It was a familiar sight.
Sahae remained quietly leaning against the window, unaware that Joo-hyuk was watching her.
Her reflection in the glass had taken on a faint smile.
She didn’t even seem to realize it herself.
For a brief moment, it was as though she had wandered into another time entirely.
