WIRHIHWS 05

Episode 5

“Ugh, Yeonwoo. Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes. Unlike yesterday, I feel perfectly fine?”
“Youth… the resilience of youth…”

Waking up early, I found my father in the kitchen preparing breakfast, wearing an apron.
My mother was reading the newspaper.
A faint smile touched my lips at the slightly peculiar, seemingly reversed scene compared to most households.

“Why are you smiling like that?”
“Nothing, it just feels like the roles are switched.”

Clearly, until I had just been discharged and entered the workforce, mom prepared breakfast and dad read the paper.
Now it was the opposite.
In the meantime, my father had quit his original job as a police officer and become a freelancer. He had always been interested in writing, even minoring in Creative Writing. Taking the chance after quitting, he said he wanted to write, and mom agreed on the condition that he diligently handle the household chores.

“Ugh. Well, I’m glad you’re okay at least. Anyway, come sit down. I tried making steamed eggs, the kind you like.”
“You didn’t make them because your stomach was upset?”
“Hey now, I made them all for you.”
“Anyway, that’s what it is, right? Got it.”

With that playful exchange with my father, I took my seat.
The food on the table came into view.

A sizable serving of beef and egg dish made with special eggs.
kimchi pickled with pungent scallions.
Steamed eggs with finely chopped carrots, scallions, and zucchini.
Even seaweed sheets roasted fresh this morning.

It was a truly luxurious breakfast menu I couldn’t have even dreamed of while working at the company.

I scooped some of the fluffy, steaming white eggs with my spoon.
Then, I mixed it into the multigrain rice. I scooped up a bite of the well-mixed eggs and rice.

“Wow! This is incredibly delicious?”
“Really? Eat a lot.”

Soft and perfectly seasoned with a savory saltiness. Combined with the texture of the well-cooked vegetables, it felt like a solid, satisfying meal.
I scooped up another big portion of the mixed rice, wrapped it in seaweed, and took a bite!
Crunch!
The seaweed shattered finely, adding its unique savory flavor and aroma.

“See, your dad cooks better than your mom, right?”
“I guess. The men in our family must just be naturally good with their hands, generation after generation. Grandpa was like that, dad is like that, there’s no comparison with mom…”

That kind of remark slipped out without me realizing it.
Then, I instantly sensed a murderous aura.
Lifting my head, I saw my mother with her like eyes, holding her spoon.

‘Ah.’

Thwack!
Kwaaaaak!
The spoon hit my forehead!

“At least tell a white lie.”
“……Yes.”

Since I was in the wrong, I couldn’t really say anything back.
No, but still…!

“You look like you have something to say? Do you have something you want to say?”
“Ah, no. I don’t.”

In the end, Yoon Yeon-woo was the one who backed down.

·
·
·

Breakfast time ended like that, and after washing up, my mother wasn’t home, probably having left for work.
Even though we won the lottery last night and I suggested she live comfortably with that money, she refused.
She said she finds fulfillment in her current work. Well, nothing to be done.

“Do you remember the way? I’d like to go with you, but unfortunately I have a hospital appointment too, so I can’t take you.”
“It’s fine. I’m not such an unfilial son that I’d forget the way to the country house. Ah, the roads haven’t been newly built or disappeared or anything, have they?”

If the route had changed, it might be a little tricky.

“No, nothing like that. They just smoothed out the roads a bit.”

The countryside is just the countryside, after all.
The countryside doesn’t change as often as the city. Put nicely, it’s steadfast; put poorly, it doesn’t change.
But still, well, that means the way there hasn’t changed.
If anything, it’s a relief.

“Then, I’ll be on my way. Is it okay to use the bicycle?”
“Sure. Have a safe trip. It hasn’t been used in a while, so if it feels off at all, go get it repaired right away.”
“Yes.”

After saying goodbye to my father, I slung the saddlebag over my shoulder, took the bicycle from outside the door, went downstairs, and stepped outside the building.
As I went outside, the high sky was the first thing that caught my eye.
If this were the city, towering skyscrapers would have entered my view instead.

“The weather is nice.”

Moderately scattered clouds, the brightly shining sun between them.
The unique scent between winter and spring, and the cool breeze.
Under the warm sunlight, I got on the bicycle.
Since it had been a while, I put on a helmet and protective gear.

“Seems okay?”

Swish, swish I pedaled to spin the wheels.
For not having been used in so long, there was no sound when I pedaled.
It moved smoothly, and the brakes worked well too.

“Shall we… go?”

It had also been a long time since I rode a bicycle.
When I lived in the city, public transportation was so good I didn’t need to ride things like bicycles.
Sitting on the saddle and looking ahead, my heart started beating a little faster, thump thump.
It wasn’t that I was scared of riding a bicycle after so long; I was excited at the prospect of riding around my hometown.

Chorus!
As I pedaled, the bicycle smoothly moved forward.
Then, a cool breeze swept through my hair.

Whoosh!
The cool, slightly cold, dry breeze cooled my body, which had warmed up from cycling.
Thanks to that, I didn’t sweat a single drop while riding.

“Wow.”

The countryside doesn’t change quickly.
I recalled what I had just said.
Yes, clearly because it doesn’t change, it doesn’t develop like a city.
But because it doesn’t change, the countryside can remain the countryside.

Precious memories engraved from childhood.
Because most of them remain unchanged, the distant past is preserved.

The rice paddies and scarecrows, unchanging in their places as before. The birds sitting on them.
The tall, old persimmon tree I often climbed as a child.
The stream we went to every summer vacation with friends.
Everything was right where it should be.

“That shop is still here. Is it still running?”

After cycling for several dozen minutes, Yoon Yeon-woo, having neared the country house, stopped in front of a snack bar he used to visit every time he went to the country house as a child.
Strangely, the lights were on.
The distinctive smells of fried food, tteokbokki, and sundae also wafted through the air.

“Back then, it was run by a grandmother. Is it still the same now?”

The thought occurred, but I knew well it wasn’t.
My childhood was 20 years ago by current standards.
Still, maybe I should go in and check?

Thud!

“Ah, the door is locked.”

I tried to open the door, but unfortunately, it was locked.

“Is it still morning, maybe they’re in preparation time?”

It’s often said that mornings in the countryside start early, but
in fact, mornings in the countryside aren’t that early.
Especially in places with many elderly grandparents, mornings are a bit slower.
It’s not like the city where you wake up at dawn to take public transportation to work.
In the countryside, unless you commute to another area, it doesn’t take more than 20 minutes.
And usually, in the countryside, there are jobs near home.

“Ugh what a shame.”

This snack bar seemed to be like that too.
Since it had two floors, the first floor was likely the snack bar and the second the living quarters.
Something must have come up while preparing, so they probably went upstairs.

“I’ll come back later. There will be plenty of chances.”

Anyway, I had to go further down this road.

“Hmm hmm~~.”

Humming, I pedaled again.
As Yoon Yeon-woo disappeared, a young woman came out of the snack bar.

“Did I mishear? I’m sure I heard the sound of someone knocking…”

Hearing a noise, she came out, but there was no one.
Did a small stone fly in with the wind?

“There’s nothing. Hmm… I must have misheard.”

In front of the shop, there wasn’t even a stone, let alone a common leaf.
That was thanks to having woken up at dawn and cleaned the outside.

“Ah! Right, the fish cakes!”

She remembered the fish cakes she had forgotten about in her rush to the bathroom.
Han Ji-min hurriedly went back inside the snack bar.

“Ah, thank goodness. Phew…”

Checking the fish cakes in a hurry, they weren’t burnt.
Only the wooden stick part was slightly singed by the fire.

“How did Grandma prepare these things, waking up at dawn every day for over 30 years…”

Grandma had passed away a few years ago.
They originally tried to sell the building, but she asked her mother, and now she had quit her original job and come down.
She didn’t want to get rid of the place Grandma had protected since she was a child.
And she wanted to taste that flavor again.
Although Han Ji-min was a fairly well-known chef in the industry and confident in her skills, she couldn’t quite match Grandma’s taste.

“It feels like I could do it if I try a little more…”

But recreating the taste from back then was difficult.
Still, it was okay.

“Even though it’s hard, this is nice too.”

She liked the feeling of being in Grandma’s place, looking at the same view Grandma saw.

“Alright! Let’s work hard today too!”

Even though, unlike the shop she ran until recently, only about ten customers might come a day, if that?
The emptiness was fine too.
She had already earned enough money to last a lifetime.
Plus, without the looks of jealousy and envy she’d had for a long time, it felt like she was truly healing in her hometown.

Yoon Yeon-woo cycled for about 10 more minutes, going deeper inland.
The further in he went, the rougher the road became, but conversely, the natural state was well preserved.
On the way, he saw several roe deer and squirrels.
He also saw a crow perched on the back of a sleeping cat.
Unfortunately, when he tried to take a picture, the crow flew away.

“There wouldn’t be any wild boars, right?”

The thought crossed his mind, but since he’d never heard any stories about seeing wild boars there as a child, he figured it was safe to relax.

“Whew! Ah, finally found it.”

Pedaling and pedaling like that, he arrived at the country house.
The road had been rough and tiring, but thankfully, he made it.

“Ugh!”

Getting off the bicycle with difficulty, he mustered strength into his trembling thighs and collapsed onto the pavilion across from the country house.
Maybe because it was old, the paint had peeled off and the wood was a bit shabby, but that feeling was actually nice.

“Wow, that was tough.”

Even as he said that, a full smile was on his lips.
Perhaps because he had moved vigorously for the first time in a while, he felt blood circulating quickly in his body.
His heart pounding made him really feel like he had exercised.

When I was working, I really hated wasting stamina like this.
But after so long, feeling the pleasant wind and breathing the refreshing air while exercising felt incredibly good.

“This place really hasn’t changed.”

Catching his breath and as his heartbeat returned to normal, he turned his gaze around the surroundings.
Tall trees stood around, their shadows coolly enveloping the area.
The only place sunlight came through was the pavilion he was lying on and the country house.

“But it’s better maintained than I thought? Did dad take care of it?”

Looking at the country house, it seemed very well maintained.

“Anyway… how do I get back there?”

For now, I followed the hint and came to the country house.
But how do I enter that place?
Do I need to sleep here again?

‘First, let’s go inside.’

The place with the spirit was important, but I needed to check this house first too.

Click-clack!

I inserted the key and opened the door.
Maybe because it was old, it was a bit stiff.

“Cough!”

As I opened the door, a dry smell and dust rushed out in a whoosh!

“Need to ventilate.”

Probably because it hadn’t been aired out at all, black mold and dust had accumulated here and there in the building.

‘But it’s not as bad as I thought?’

First, let me take pictures and send them to dad.

Click!
Click!
Click!

I took pictures of everything—the living room, ceiling, walls, rooms, bathroom—while looking around.

‘It’s really an old house.’

The interior, decorated with dark wood that was considered classic back then.
But now, weathered by time, many parts were cracked.

‘We’ll need to change everything but the framework.’

Just as I was pondering how to remodel and redecorate…

Thump!

Suddenly, a sound of something falling came from a room.

“Did something fall because of the wind?”

I grabbed and turned the doorknob of the room where the sound came from.
At that moment, it felt so natural that I had forgotten—
that room was the one Grandpa had locked, calling it the storage room back in the day.

Swoosh.

I opened the door and entered.
Inside was something I hadn’t seen as a child.