13-1

by Han Yong-un

Sun-young felt momentarily dazed upon arriving in Gyeongseong.

Although it had only been a little over two years since she lived there, the streets had changed quite a bit in that time.

There were new shops, and some houses had disappeared.

However, it was a neighborhood she had frequented every day.

There was no need to ask anyone for directions.

Sun-young slowly entered the familiar alley.

And—

she stopped in front of the Song family's house.

At the door, a rough lantern made from willow branches was hanging.

The white paper covering the lantern was soaked from the rain and drooping.

Aside from that, there was nothing else.

No passersby.

No sounds of chatter.

It was silent.

Sun-young felt a suffocating sensation for no reason.

She stood at the threshold, staring inside for a long time.

No signs of life could be heard.

As she hesitated whether to enter or not, she eventually cleared her throat a couple of times and slowly stepped into the courtyard.

At that moment—

“Oh dear, the young lady has come!”

The kitchen maid rushed out in a flurry from the kitchen.

And upon seeing Sun-young's face, she burst into tears.

“Oh dear… the mistress has passed away…”

Sun-young was momentarily speechless.

She didn't even realize the bag she was holding had slipped into the maid's hands.

Hot tears fell first.

“Sun-young has come.”

Kim Seon-dal, who had been smoking at the end of the porch, put down his pipe and said.

“Come on up.”

Sun-young staggered up to the porch.

However, she could not bring herself to enter the room where the body was.

She collapsed in front of the door, as if crumpling down.

And for a long time, she cried silently.

It was only after some time had passed that Sun-young could gradually hear the detailed story.

They said Mr. Song collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage after drinking excessively.

And he passed away just two days later.

There were originally very few relatives.

The girls she had been living with had already scattered, and she didn't even know where they were.

Un-ok went to Mokpo and then moved to a restaurant in Hamheung, but she said she couldn't come because she fell ill.

The household was lonelier than expected.

And an unexpected story followed.

Just before Mr. Song died—

he called Kim Seon-dal and the townspeople to leave a will.

He said that the house they were living in was originally a rented house, but he had taken five hundred won out of the seven hundred won received from selling Sun-young and returned it as a jeonse deposit.

And he left everything, including that house, household items, and clothes—

all remaining assets were left in Sun-young's name.

Sun-young was speechless for a while.

For several days, she was preoccupied with the funeral arrangements.

Kim Seon-dal took care of everything, including the rituals and burial preparations, while Sun-young quietly moved beside him.

She also had to sort out the assets.

Paying off debts.

Covering funeral expenses.

After distributing small tokens of appreciation to those who helped—

in the end, only about two hundred won remained in Sun-young's hands.

But that money held great significance for Sun-young.

After the funeral, when she was about to return to Incheon—

Sun-young suddenly wanted to look for Dae-cheol.

But she didn't know the exact address.

In the end, she had no choice but to turn back without meeting him.

At the moment she was leaving Mr. Song's house for the last time.

Sun-young felt as if she was waking up from a long dream.

The old woman from the alley followed her to the end, crying.

Sun-young silently handed her ten won more.

She also wanted to visit her old friends and acquaintances.

But she didn't do that.

‘Later…’

When she was truly happy.

When she married Dae-cheol and started living more like a human being—

she wanted to visit them then.

The wind blew.

The rain began to scatter again.

After attending Song's funeral and returning to Incheon—

Sun-young's heart had changed slightly from before.

She used to feel anxious all the time.

What if Song sold her off to someone else again?

What if, even after the three-year term ended, he demanded money again and held her back?

She had worried about such things countless times.

Of course, Sun-young didn't plan to just accept everything quietly.

She was already a body that had been sold once.

She thought she had sufficiently repaid the costs of the two years she had been raised with that money.

So if something really happened, she was prepared to fight back in any way she could.

But—

It was clear that it would ultimately become a noisy and embarrassing situation.

However, now it was different.

With Song's death, that very worry had disappeared.

Moreover, unexpectedly, she had two hundred won left in her hands.

With that money—

There was a possibility that it would be enough to pay off the remaining term for Suk-ja.

If that were the case, she could be free at any time.

And—

She could marry Dae-cheol.

Every time that thought crossed her mind, Sun-young's heart raced.

But at the same time, another anxiety arose.

Dae-cheol still hadn't contacted her.

Sun-young thought about it even on her way back from Gyeongseong.

‘Surely a letter must have arrived.’

She believed at least a short greeting would have been left.

But as soon as she entered the house, the answer she received was cold.

“Letter? There wasn't any.”

With that one remark, Sun-young felt a chill in her heart for no reason.

Still, at first, she reassured herself.

‘He must be busy.’

He would be preoccupied because of the gold mine application.

But as a day passed, and then another day passed without any contact—

Her feelings of disappointment began to grow stronger.

‘If I were in his position…’

Sun-young thought to herself.

‘I would have written ten or twenty letters by now.’

It wasn't simply to convey his news.

It must have been because he was curious about her news as well.

Thinking that way made him feel increasingly resentful.

He felt sad.

But soon, his heart wavered again.

‘No…’

Perhaps there was really some reason for it.

Didn't they say men are different from women?

There were many people who couldn't focus on anything else when facing a big event.

Or—

He might be deliberately holding back, fearing that frequent contact would only shake his heart more.

Thinking that way, it made him feel more childish, waiting anxiously for a letter.

Sun-young waited for a letter every day.

She turned to the door whenever she heard footsteps.

Even the shadow of the mailman passing by made her heart race for no reason.

But when nothing happened, she found herself laughing alone for no reason.

‘Why am I like this…’

But her heart couldn't help it.

And—

It was only after twenty days since Dae-cheol left.

Finally, a letter arrived.