Returning Home
by Han In-taek · 2026-03-20
Myung-soon couldn't help but laugh as she saw her mother still praising Byeon Gyo-jang. Her mother's feelings had not changed, and Myung-soon didn't pay much attention to it. There was no one to put flowers in the broken vase again, and there were no such requests. She had no choice but to accept any flowers. If she refused, that vase was destined for the trash can. Whether there was a heart or not, it was best to set the sails according to the wind.
As the sun set, mother and daughter shared the stories they missed. After dinner, Myung-soon, unable to resist her mother's insistence, decided to visit Byeon Gyo-jang's house. She had only heard that Byeon Gyo-jang's house was in Ikseon-dong, but she had never been there. She followed her mother like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse. Her mother, walking ahead like a large tree, turned around and spoke to Myung-soon.
“Byeon Gyo-jang's house is as splendid and grand as a palace. Just looking at the reception room, it can't even be compared to the Mokbuin house in Hamheung.”
“The clock hanging in that room alone costs three hundred won, it's really nice.”
Myung-soon didn't pay attention to those words either. Everything seemed abundant.
However, she was worried about Byeon Gyo-jang's cunning demeanor. The men passing by on the wide road all looked like Chang-seon, and they resembled Byeon Gyo-jang as well. Their busy walking seemed like a group heading to some gloomy place. The place she heard about from Wol-chun seemed like one that tried to swallow all clean women. There was not a single trustworthy person.
Women entertainers passing by in rickshaws! Gentlemen in light suits riding in luxurious cars! Looking at all this, it seemed as if the ugly night of Gyeongseong was opening its large, deep mouth to swallow countless lives. Gyeongseong certainly seemed to be dying. It felt like a cursed crowd, screaming as they wandered. Only the honest middle school students seemed to be alive, bustling about energetically. They resembled fresh sprouts vigorously sprouting from the decaying roots of an old tree. Myung-soon hoped they would grow quickly and break all the darkness of society with strong fists.
Myung-soon's mother stopped in front of the gate of Byeon Gyo-jang's house in Ikseon-dong and said.
“This is Byeon Gyo-jang's house.”
After saying this, she stepped inside the gate. Myung-soon followed her in. It wasn't very spacious, but it could be considered wide for a courtyard in the city. Low evergreen trees stood here and there, and there was a small pond as well. Myung-soon walked along the winding narrow path behind her mother.
“This house built in the half-Western style is where Byeon Gyo-jang currently resides.”
Her mother said this while climbing the stairs of the half-Western style house, regardless of whether Myung-soon was listening or not. Guided by a servant, Myung-soon and her mother entered the reception room.
The reception room was splendid, just as her mother had said. Plush armchairs and gold and silver decorations dazzled the eyes. Expensive masterpieces were beautifully hung on the walls. Flower pots with 'daffodils', 'cyclamen', and 'daisies' were placed by the windows in various corners of the room, making it feel like spring had arrived in this room alone. The fragrance emitted by those flowers pleasantly stimulated the nose.
However, none of this was of any use to Myeong-soon. She longed more for the small hut under the big pear tree across the Hamheung Manse Bridge. All the decorations born from gold were not as good as the thatched house surrounded by nature. Myeong-soon saw all these glamorous things as futile attempts to tempt people, and they felt like things made for the bragging of wealthy individuals. No matter how much she looked, she could not find anything genuine.
Myeong-soon recalled the beggars shivering under the Gwanggyo Bridge spending the night. The homeless people lived like that and died like pig carcasses, while the wealthy decorated their guest rooms so extravagantly that she understood the complaints of those without homes.
If such beggars were to enter this room, the homeowner would immediately chase them away. On the other hand, as soon as the so-called gentlemen with money arrived, they would extend their hands and act charmingly to guide them. What a contradiction of life this is!
They were certainly becoming slaves to money.
It was more than ten minutes after Myeong-soon and her mother entered the room that Byeon Gyo-jang came in.
Byeon Gyo-jang looked at Myeong-soon and said.
“Ah! I’m so sorry for being late. If I had known Myeong-soon was coming, I would have come out right away, but I was busy doing unnecessary things inside…”
He spoke so slyly and sat down in a chair. As soon as Myeong-soon faced Byeon Gyo-jang, she felt she could not stay here even for a moment. Yet, she could not leave either. For some reason, her body felt more constrained than before, and everything seemed like it would not be free. It felt as if her body was attached to Byeon Gyo-jang.
“So, haven’t you had a hard time during this time?”
Byeon Gyo-jang asked while shoveling coal into the stove.
“Not really, I haven’t had a hard time.”
Myeongsun answered without turning her head.
Byun-gyo-jang said after stretching.
“That’s a relief. The world is tough, so even though your mother is sitting down, she has been very worried. I’m just thankful that you returned quickly without bothering your mother.”
Hearing this, Myeongsun thought to herself, ‘What a shameless child.’
Her mother felt uncomfortable seeing that Myeongsun didn’t speak much and didn’t answer Byun-gyo-jang’s questions clearly.
“It’s really pitiful that you went out for no reason and now feel embarrassed to even talk to your mother.”
“Haha! Of course, that would be the case. You must regret leaving home.”
“Hey, talk a bit. So, don’t you want to say a word of thanks to the person who even sent you money?”
Her mother urged anxiously.
But Myeongsun sat there with her head down, saying nothing.
She was biting her lip in sadness and frustration.
“In the meantime, after Myeongsun left, we had a lot of trouble at school. If Myeongsun had been like another girl, we would have retired her and hired a new teacher, but we couldn’t do that, so I told the other teachers to continue teaching the class that Myeongsun was in charge of.”
Myeongsun felt disgusted by the overly sympathetic attitude and dropped her gaze.
“Thank you very much. I appreciate you thinking that much for me.”
Unaware that it was a voice opposing her, Byun-gyo-jang felt delighted inside.
“Not at all. Anyway, please come back to school starting tomorrow.”
As he spoke, his face flushed with anger. However, Myeongsun no longer wanted to play the role of a teacher. Even the meals she ate morning and night were done out of habit, without any desire. Myeongsun felt a sense of boredom towards everything in this dying world. She had become so numb that she could not realize gratitude, joy, or sadness. That attitude was cold towards her mother, Byeon Gyo-jang, and everyone else.
“School? Why would someone who has left go back in?”
“What complaints do you have about the school?”
“Complaints? What complaints could there be?”
“Then?”
“You should be able to go if your body is suffering.”
The mother, who had been listening to the conversation without saying a word, spoke up.
“Get a grip on yourself. Why are you sitting there like someone who is dying?”
After saying this, she looked at Byeon Gyo-jang again and continued.
“Myeongsun went down to Gaeseong and has been sick for a few days, and it seems she is still unwell. If her body is healthy, what will the mother and daughter eat and live on without seeing the work they used to do?”
“I see it that way too. She seems to be suffering a lot. If her body is in such pain, she should take a break for a few months. Even if she takes a break, I will still pay her salary.”
He spoke of money at the end of every sentence, trying to win Myeongsun's favor. He meant to sprinkle it generously without holding back. However, the rotten smell of that gold could not move Myeongsun's heart. She was sitting here because her body had become incapable; if she had even a little courage to live, she would have left this place immediately. Having become a body without a master and a body without value, she was witnessing all sorts of absurdities.
Byeon Gyo-jang lit a cigarette next to the bright red stove and took a hard puff. Then, hesitating, he brought up the topic of marriage. However, Myeong-soon dismissed it on the condition of remaining single.
Byeon Gyo-jang was left speechless and could only sit there, puffing away at his cigarette. Myeong-soon's mother felt very embarrassed by this awkward situation. So, she tried to do whatever she could to change her daughter's mind.
“Why are you talking nonsense? It's about being single; stop with such childish talk and agree readily.”
“…………”
“We are in a position to propose first, so how could that be acceptable? Come on, yes Myeong-soon, quickly say you will do it.”
The mother felt anxious that her daughter's feelings were misaligned with hers. So, she grabbed Myeong-soon's chin and sat down closely, feeling hot and pleading.
Byeon Gyo-jang felt awkward for bringing up the topic without knowing how to approach it. However, since it was a matter involving money, Myeong-soon thought she would eventually become his.
“Regarding Myeong-soon, since this is a very significant matter, should you respond soon? Please think it over carefully and leave it as is.”
In any case, Byeon Gyo-jang tried to show that he was an accommodating person.
However, he felt happy inside as he realized that Myeong-soon's attitude had changed compared to before. He knew well that the previous Myeong-soon would have run out of the room the moment the word 'marriage' was mentioned.
However, when he realized that Myung-soon had the strongest heart among all the women, he couldn't help but be amazed. If she were like other women, she would have jumped at the chance after just one word, but Myung-soon was not easily lured according to his wishes. The more she resisted, the stronger his passion for Myung-soon grew. No matter how strong her heart was, he thought that if he could just catch her once... and just then, his mother came asking for money, which provided the opportunity he had been waiting for, and he gave her one hundred won, adding fifty won to the amount. He believed that the more bait he offered, the more firmly she would be caught.
Right now, Myung-soon was throwing a tantrum, insisting that it absolutely wouldn't happen, but he thought that later, when the situation turned unfavorable, if he just demanded repayment of the loan, Myung-soon would come to him helplessly. Therefore, he felt there was no need to be discouraged by the current failure.
Byun Gyo-jang treated Myung-soon and her mother without changing his expression at all.
He tried to give various hints to avoid hurting Myung-soon's feelings as much as possible.
However, the clever Myung-soon would not be swayed by any of those tactics. That night, they chatted aimlessly until late, and Myung-soon and her mother returned home.
After that, whenever there was a chance, her mother took Myung-soon to Byun Gyo-jang's house to play. She thought that if they interacted frequently, Myung-soon's heart might change. Myung-soon also never refused to go along whenever her mother suggested visiting Byun Gyo-jang's house. However, her feelings remained the same as they were on the first evening they went to visit, and they had not changed at all.
Thus, whenever I returned home, I would receive various scoldings and criticisms from my mother. However, Myeongsun never rebelled and always maintained a silent attitude.
Receiving an invitation from Byeon-gyo-jang, there were times when we went to the theater together, and she did not refuse to follow me to events like sports meets and concerts. Not only that, but we also explored the bustling streets of Jongno and Jingo-ggae together.
Being with Myeongsun felt like an honor for Byeon-gyo-jang, and he felt as if his shoulders were lifted by two or three inches in the joyful breeze.
It was as if he were boasting about having a fine horse, walking leisurely through the streets on that horse.
Whether Myeongsun had feelings for him or not was not a significant issue. Just being accompanied to crowded places was satisfying enough. And when his peers praised Myeongsun, it sounded to him as if they were envious of him, making him feel that as Myeongsun's popularity grew, his own status also rose.