1.
Ibom first met Seo Jaeheon when she was twelve years old.
In the early spring when the cold snap was at its peak, her mother left on a trip to Jeju Island with her elementary school friends using money from their savings club. Because it was rare for her mother to be away from home, her excited father immediately finished preparing to go out and have fun. Having changed into his fishing clothes, he packed his tent, fishing rod, floats, instant noodles, and other supplies in an instant. He had been unable to enjoy his hobby for so long that dust had settled on his rods, what with his busy business and his wife's subtle pressure on top of everything, so he was thoroughly thrilled at the thought of going fishing for the first time in a while. It was around a month since they had moved to Usu-dong.
Usu-dong. To Ibom's father, Han Junmyeong, this place was like his hometown, and it was also where the memories of his close friend, Seo Cheolhyeon—whom he had practically grown up with—were buried. Although Junmyeong had left this place at seventeen and spent his time drifting from one district and neighborhood to another, he had eventually returned to Usu-dong where Cheolhyeon was, determined to make a fresh start.
It had been a full fifteen years since Junmyeong's reunion with Usu-dong. Seoul had changed rapidly over those fifteen years, and Usu-dong was no exception. Even this place, which had seemed far removed from development, was half designated as a development zone with construction underway, while the other half remained much the same as before. Because it still belonged to a poor school district, most parents with children had left the neighborhood.
"Are you going fishing?"
"Yeah. It's a secret from Mom. Bom, go play at Uncle Cheolhyeon's house, and Dad will pick you up in the evening."
Her father often affectionately called Ibom by the nickname "Bom."
By the way, Seo Cheolhyeon was an uncle whose name she had heard often recently. She had heard he was her father's old friend, but her mother did not welcome him. Had she called him a gangster?
Ibom's expression darkened.
"Can't I just stay home? I can behave fine by myself."
"Uncle has lots of fun books and game consoles at his house. There's a handsome oppa too, and he got a puppy this time. Wait there and play, and I'll catch some fish so we can eat something delicious this evening. The lady there will give you lots of tasty things too."
"But I don't want to go."
Ibom pouted in complaint.
She didn't know why her father had to drop her off at his house when Uncle Cheolhyeon wasn't even there and the two of them were going fishing together anyway, but it didn't seem like something she had a choice about. Whether he left her home alone or made her wait at Cheolhyeon's house, her mother would definitely be angry at her father if she found out.
Ibom's mother disliked Cheolhyeon. Not only had he lived a completely different life from Junmyeong, but calling his work "finance" when he was really a loan shark, not to mention the fact that he was a widower, had been the final blow.
"Are you being friendly with him because he knows you're in business? Don't you dare borrow money from him."
"Cheolhyeon isn't like that. You met him several times when we were dating—why are you like this?"
"I didn't like him even back then. He's so sleazy... I was too scared to show it, but you have all these reputable people around you, yet you insist on being close with someone like him."
"Business is business, and friends are friends. I need a place to breathe too."
"Spend that time playing golf with President Kim of Hyeonil Sangsa or something."
"That's for the majority shareholder to handle. Why do you think I started a company with him? So I could take care of that kind of thing."
Her mother disliked Cheolhyeon, but Ibom rather liked him. Because Seo Cheolhyeon always greeted her with a smiling face whenever they met. He often gave her small gifts like imported snacks. So she had simply hoped that Junmyeong and Cheolhyeon would remain good friends. But that didn't mean she wanted to be left alone at his house when he wasn't even there.
"If you go and behave yourself today, Dad will buy you that bunny doll keychain you wanted."
Ibom's face brightened.
"The pink one."
"Of course. But you have to keep it a secret from Mom. Promise?"
"Promise."
Ibom hooked her pinky around Junmyeong's. With the negotiation settled, she let out a small sigh and got into the car.
The bunny doll keychain he had mentioned was a character doll Ibom had been eyeing recently. After seeing it on a TV commercial, she had subtly mentioned wanting it, but her mother had opposed it, leaving Ibom as the only girl her age without one. It had continued to hover before her eyes ever since; if he would buy it for her, she could probably stand to wait a few hours.
"Come to think of it, this is the first time I'm taking Bom to Cheolhyeon's place. You've never met your Jaeheon oppa, right?"
"No."
"He's a kind, good oppa. He studies well too. We'll be seeing him often from now on, so be friendly with him. He looks just like Uncle Cheolhyeon."
"Yes. But Dad, if you're such good friends with Uncle Cheolhyeon, why don't you see each other often?"
"True friends don't need to see each other often."
No matter how close friends were, it was natural for meetings to become infrequent as time passed.
When Junmyeong moved to an area with better schools, he and Cheolhyeon had been separated right as they entered high school. He then succeeded in entering the business administration department of one of the nation's top universities and joined a mid-sized company immediately after graduation. At a certain point, Junmyeong abruptly came up with a good business idea, quit his job, and started his own company.
In contrast, his friend Cheolhyeon, who had no interest in studying, had barely made it through high school. He lived as he pleased, took over the family business to become a gangster, and was now a worker in the third-tier financial sector. Cheolhyeon often introduced himself as a financial industry worker, but in reality, he worked for a private loan company—that is, he was a loan shark.
The reason these two were able to meet again so frequently was because the neighborhood Junmyeong had come to start his company was the same neighborhood he had lived in with Cheolhyeon as children. This place, which had once been an empty wasteland, had begun to develop, with buildings rising here and there. Junmyeong thought that this place's development aligned with his own new beginning.
Usu-dong. It was such a large neighborhood that it was divided into several dongs with numbers attached—a chaotic place where hills and plains, development zones and traditional markets, apartment complexes and residential areas coexisted.
"What time will you come?"
"Probably around nine. If you get tired, sleep in the guest room."
"You have a separate guest room?"
"Of course. Uncle Cheolhyeon's house is huge. The lady who works there will make lots of delicious things for Bom today."
The more she heard, the more fascinating it was. Not only was the house large enough to have a separate guest room, but there was even a housekeeper.
"We're here."
Ibom got out of the car and looked up at the detached house before her. Situated at the highest point of a gentle hill, the house was so imposing in appearance that the word "mansion" suited it well. At a glance, it was as wide as several houses combined. Facing south with no surrounding buildings to block its view, it must have gotten plenty of sunlight, yet because the neighborhood was so quiet, the exterior alone gave off a somewhat cold feeling.
Her mother had said this neighborhood was half poor people, half nouveau riche from redevelopment. Cheolhyeon's house clearly belonged to the wealthy side. The high wall was built with high-quality bricks distinctly different from the surrounding houses, and well-maintained pine trees were visible beyond it. Even at a glance, the width the single house occupied was several times that of the other houses.
Cheolhyeon greeted Ibom, dressed similarly to Junmyeong. Behind him came a lady with a gentle face.
"Oh my, our Ibom is here."
"Hello, Uncle."
"Icheondaek, please take good care of her."
"Yes, sir. Hello, Ibom. Today, auntie will make you delicious snacks and lunch."
The lady called Icheondaek was a housekeeper who commuted to Cheolhyeon's house. During the day, she stayed on the premises, preparing meals and snacks and taking care of the cleaning.
A magnificent detached house she had only seen in dramas, complete with a housekeeper coming out to greet her. She had come along, practically dragged there for Junmyeong's hobby, but now that she had arrived, she found she liked it somewhat. She bowed her head in greeting.
"Hello. I'm Han Ibom."
"Ibom? What a pretty name. No, I mean, you're pretty."
Junmyeong opened his mouth with a puzzled face.
"Come to think of it, where is Jaeheon?"
"That punk is good-for-nothing and said it's annoying so he won't come out. Anyway, raising a son is pointless. He's my son, but I have no idea what he's thinking."
"Still, once he's grown, he'll be a great support. Icheondaek, please treat her comfortably. Think of her as Jaeheon's little sister. And Ibom, you must listen to your auntie."
"Yes."
When Han Ibom smiled bashfully, Icheondaek gave a gentle smile.
Cheolhyeon grinned and said, "Anyway, you've raised your daughter beautifully. Ibom, there's a kid with a weird personality in this house. Don't go into the innermost room on the second floor out of the rooms with open doors. You'll be in big trouble."
"Whose room is it?"
"My son's room."
Cheolhyeon answered with a deliberately serious face. Ibom laughed as if amused, and he smiled along.
"If my son had turned out even half as well as Ibom, I'd carry him around on my back."
Most people doted on Ibom. Having inherited only the best features of her parents, her distinct features meant she had been called pretty since she was young. Knowing how to behave to make adults like her more, Ibom smiled, greeted them, and quietly followed Icheondaek inside. With every step, the hair Junmyeong had tied up high in a single bunch this morning swayed softly.
"Today, this will be Ibom's room. The boss said you can play comfortably anywhere, yard or inside. Except for Jaeheon's room on the second floor innermost. Don't force open any locked doors, and if you need anything, call for auntie. During the day, auntie is usually in the kitchen or that room over there."
Icheondaek pointed to a room near the kitchen.
"Yes, Auntie."
The first-floor guest room Ibom was shown was empty. There was a bare desk and a bed. The bedding was fluffy and soft as if sun-dried, but there were none of the many books, toys, or game consoles she had imagined. There wasn't even a puppy.
Still, the interior was as impressive as she had expected. The floor was marble, and a chandelier hung from the ceiling. Across from a long, leather couch in dark brown stood a large television and what looked like a display cabinet filled with all kinds of liquor. After looking at the glass display case containing whiskey in pretty bottles of various colors, she moved over to see long liquor bottles lined up on a wooden display stand. Ginseng liquor with large ginseng roots, wild ginseng liquor, polygonum liquor, plum liquor, and a vivid red sansuyu liquor that particularly caught her eye. They all had labels she could read, but some were things Ibom had never tasted. There were many empty spots on one side of the display case; the round marks the size of bottles left on the bottom suggested that other liquors had been displayed there before.
"Dad said there were lots of fun books and game consoles, and that there was a puppy too."
Ibom sighed as she looked at the bright red sansuyu liquor. As adults tended to do, it seemed Dad had exaggerated again. She would have to negotiate well in the evening to get two bunny dolls in different colors. Though she searched every corner of the first-floor rooms and living room, she saw no books or game consoles. Perhaps the study was on the second floor? Ibom's gaze turned to the stairs leading up. Curious though she was, the stairs were high, and wandering alone in someone else's house felt awkward, so she thought it better to look around the yard instead.
"Wow, it's huge."
Never in the houses she had visited had she seen such a large yard. Next to the pine trees visible from outside stood a row of trees blooming with yellow flowers. Though there wasn't a single blade of grass and the branches were bare, the small flowers blooming abundantly were charming. On one side was a fairly large pond. Colorful carp swam inside. There were quite a few, ranging from ones with black and red spots on white to golden and orange ones, and many with only orange spots on white.
She had come out wearing a padded jacket, but true to the term "spring cold snap," it was so cold outside that the tip of her nose turned red and stiff. Still, seeing the trees full of yellow flowers made her feel that the seasons were changing. Suddenly noticing the sky reflected in the pond was unusually clear, she looked up. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. It was like a blue canvas without the usual power lines, utility poles, or even the building across the street.
"Haa."
When she breathed out, white mist scattered around. It seemed the rich didn't just live in different houses—they saw different skies too. The weather was so good she couldn't easily tear her eyes away. There were no game consoles or books, but it was a beautiful house.
"Who are you?"
It was a low, pleasant voice. Ibom shifted her gaze toward the sound.
There stood a boy in a sweatshirt. Perhaps because he was tall with broad shoulders, the loose-fitting clothes looked just right on him. At a glance, he exuded a mature aura unlike the boys she encountered daily in elementary school. His eyes, revealed beneath dark, neatly aligned eyebrows, had sharp lines that gave a cold impression. The straight line of his tightly closed lips beneath his straight nose bridge looked resolute. Standing where he faced the sun directly, receiving all its light, his pupils were pitch black. Only upon close inspection could one tell they were a very deep dark brown.
Her mother had said she fell for her father because he was handsome and attended a prestigious university. True enough, the young father she had discovered by rummaging through albums at home had been quite good-looking. But the person before her was handsome on an entirely different level. Her father had said Jaeheon looked like Cheolhyeon, but Ibom thought he didn't resemble him at all. He was closer to a delicate-featured pretty-boy type.
"Are you Uncle Junmyeong's daughter?"
"Yeah."
He, who had been quietly staring at Ibom, slowly opened his lips. His neatly shaped lips moved pleasingly.
"You're ugly."
"What?"
Ugly? Ibom's face colored with confusion before quickly turning sullen. She had only heard such words from mischievous boys her own age who liked teasing girls. And even that had been last year. Come to think of it, her father had said there was a handsome oppa entering high school this year at Cheolhyeon's house. It seemed the subject of those words was this very boy standing before her.
"I'm not ugly."
"What does 'not ugly' mean?"
"It means I'm pretty."
As Ibom retorted clearly, one of the boy's eyebrows shot up diagonally.
"You?"
"Yeah."
"I guess all the pretty people in the world are dead."
His smooth, gentle voice made him even more insufferable.
"Ugh."
At this point, she should have retorted, "You're uglier!" but she couldn't. Because no matter how she looked at it, he was really, truly handsome. Perhaps because not a single feature fell short, even his expressionlessness looked cool.
"What's your name?"
"Didn't Uncle Cheolhyeon even tell you that?"
"No."
"I'm Han Ibom."
"Han Ibom."
He looked at Ibom, chewing over her name. His lips pronounced her name as if rolling candy around in his mouth. Annoying as he was, his voice calling her name was pleasant to hear.
"Ibom."
"Yeah?"
"Your nose is running."
Ibom sniffled, flustered.
"Your name is Seo Jaeheon."
"Yeah."
Jaeheon stared at Ibom without any change in expression, then slowly raised his hand and pointed to the door leading to the living room.
"Go inside and blow your nose."
It seemed her nose was running again. Ibom sniffled and headed indoors. Yellow flowers filled her vision as she crossed the garden.
* * *
After blowing her nose, she turned back to see Seo Jaeheon following her into the living room. He exchanged a few words with Icheondaek in the kitchen and then looked at Ibom. When she averted her gaze and pretended to look away, Seo Jaeheon approached her first. Ibom was the one who spoke first.
"Why didn't you come out to greet Uncle?"
"He told me not to."
"Are you not close to him?"
"Probably are."
What did "close" even mean? They were close even if they didn't meet often, close even if they didn't come out to greet each other... Either everyone was a liar, or Ibom had the wrong definition of closeness.
"Dad said there were lots of fun books and game consoles here, but there aren't any on the first floor. I want to read a book."
"They're on the second floor. Want to go read?"
"Yeah."
The study was on the second floor. Computers and game consoles seemed to be in Jaeheon's room. He said he had no intention of letting her into his room and took her to the study instead. He then took out books he had read when he was younger and handed them to Ibom. They had been left untouched for a long time, sitting dust-covered in the corner of the bookshelf. Perhaps because she took after her father, Ibom liked books. There was a large collection of educational comics for children and age-appropriate recommended books. There was enough to keep her occupied alone all day. She sat down satisfactorily in the chair by the study window and opened a book; Jaeheon sat across from her. He picked up a book with an English title.
"You read books too?"
"Yeah."
"I thought Uncle didn't read books."
"He doesn't really. He's a gangster."
His face as he said this was calm, as if stating the obvious. Ibom looked at Jaeheon with a surprised face. Of course, his words were true, but she hadn't expected him to call his own father a gangster so openly. She carefully opened her mouth with a curious expression.
"Are you a gang... do you do that too?"
"What, a gangster?"
"Yeah."
"I'm not a gangster."
"Then what are you?"
"A high school student. You can't be a gangster at this age."
"Then won't you be a gangster in the future?"
"Who knows."
Jaeheon made an unreadable expression. It was close to expressionless, yet he seemed to be mulling over something somewhere. Looking at the cover of the book he was reading, he continued.
"I wonder if I'll become interested in other things if I become a gangster too."
Seo Jaeheon becoming a gangster. For some reason, she couldn't imagine it. Because neither his appearance nor his aura resembled Uncle Cheolhyeon's in the slightest.
"You don't seem like you'd become a gangster. And all of these are yours, aren't they? Once you like books, you keep liking them. That's what Dad said."
"These aren't mine. They were my mother's."
Mother. Ibom's eyes went wide. Since she had heard Uncle Cheolhyeon lived alone, it seemed she shouldn't ask about his wife. She had that much sense.
"Speaking of which, you've come quite boldly to a gangster's house. What would you do if something bad happened to you?"
"It's okay. Uncle Cheolhyeon is a good gangster."
Cheolhyeon often jokingly told Ibom, "Uncle is a scary gangster, so if anyone bullies Ibom, just tell me. I'll teach them all a lesson." He was a fun person who gave her gifts and joked around with her.
"So I think you're a good high school student too."
The corner of Jaeheon's lips rose crookedly. He let out a short laugh and turned his eyes back to his book.
"Not really."
"No? I'm right."
Ibom pressed for an answer, her round eyes wide.
"Fine, let's say you're right."
She took her eyes off the book and looked at Seo Jaeheon. He had his elbow on one armrest, holding his book open with one hand. His profile revealed in her sidelong gaze was handsome too.
"Hey, can I come over to play again?"
"Do as you like."
"Will you play with me if I come?"
Seo Jaeheon's gaze turned to Ibom. He looked at her quietly and opened his lips.
"Yeah. I'll play with you."
Uncle Cheolhyeon had said Seo Jaeheon was a failure, but Ibom thought he was quite a decent person. His flashy good looks aside, right now they were sitting face-to-face reading books. His words calling her ugly had long since faded from Ibom's mind.
"But what's the name of those flowers in the garden? They're pretty."
From the window seat where Ibom and Jaeheon sat, they could see a row of trees with fully bloomed yellow flowers on one side of the garden. The trees with small yellow flowers blooming profusely on every branch looked, from afar, like clusters of bright yellow chicks.
"Sansuyu."
"But isn't that red?"
"The flowers are yellow."
Ibom recalled the bright red sansuyu liquor she had seen during the day. It was the only drink that had emitted such a vivid red color among the transparent or yellowish infused liquors. So such cute, pretty yellow flowers bore such red fruits. Her gaze lingered on the garden for a long time.
* * *
As the urge grew stronger, her legs twisted and squirmed. Ibom glanced at Seo Jaeheon, who read his book without moving, then dropped her gaze back to her book. She read her book distractedly, then lifted her head again to stare at Jaeheon. Jaeheon opened his mouth.
"What."
"Um... where is the bathroom?"
"Go out and to the end of the hallway on the left. There's a sign on the door."
"I'll be right back."
Ibom passed by Jaeheon and left the study. She closed the door quietly and hurried to the bathroom, but a strange sound came from the hallway.
Whimper.
The faint noise sounded like a puppy whining. Since she hadn't found any trace of a puppy, she had thought her father lied, but could it be on the second floor? The whining sound repeated, stopping and starting. She thought perhaps it was trapped in a room. Ibom walked in the direction of the sound. It was coming from the inner part of the hallway.
"I think it's coming from here."
As she approached the innermost room of the hallway, the sound stopped. Usually, if friends her age had a puppy at home, they would brag about it or introduce it first. She could understand Icheondaek not mentioning it, but it was strange that Seo Jaeheon hadn't said a word. Had she misheard after all? Just in case, she thought it would be good to check inside the room. Ibom grabbed the doorknob of the room from which the sound had come.
"Don't go into the innermost room on the second floor among the rooms with open doors. You'll be in big trouble."
Uncle Cheolhyeon's warning suddenly came to mind. Come to think of it, this was that room he had spoken of. Even if she didn't go in, wouldn't it be okay just to check for a moment? Strength entered Ibom's hand.
"Lost?"
Ibom jumped in fright at the voice from behind. She slowly turned around.
Seo Jaeheon was looking at Ibom. He was quite close. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking because he was expressionless, but for some reason, his gaze was chilly. Cold sweat formed on her spine.
"Uh, no. I heard something like a puppy whining here."
"Ahh."
He closed his lips for a moment before speaking.
"The bathroom is the other way. That end."
"The sound I heard just now from inside..."
"What sound?"
The quickly following question was decisive. It was a tone suggesting that everything Ibom had heard was a delusion. She should have answered that she heard a puppy, but for some reason, it felt like she shouldn't say that. She hesitated, then opened her mouth.
"No, I must have misheard. I'll go to the bathroom."
The urge returned. Ibom headed in the direction he had indicated to find the bathroom. After confirming that she had entered the bathroom, Jaeheon shifted his gaze again toward the room from which the whimpering sound was coming. He opened the door and went inside.
When Ibom returned to the study after even washing her hands thoroughly, Seo Jaeheon was already seated first. Had that been a delusion earlier? She couldn't feel the slightest chill from him anymore. Had that strange atmosphere been a delusion after all? Glancing around cautiously, she followed his lead and picked up her book to read again.
As dusk fell, Junmyeong returned with Cheolhyeon, having actually caught fish. With it, Icheondaek boiled a spicy fish stew, and Cheolhyeon took out the sansuyu liquor from among the infused liquors in the living room. The red liquor filled a white cup prettily. With a clink, leaving behind the uncles drinking with hearty laughter, Ibom, having finished her meal, headed to the living room window overlooking the garden.
At twelve years old. The grand mansion she visited for the first time had a vast garden. There, a beautiful pond, a clear sky, and yellow sansuyu flowers blooming in profusion.
And seventeen-year-old Seo Jaeheon was there.
The mansion was like a magnificent castle from a fairy tale.