14-1
by Han Yong-un
“Mother… I have something to say…”
Sun-young hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up.
Sook-ja looked at Sun-young while holding a cigarette between her fingers.
“Yes, what is it?”
Her voice was soft.
She had a rather affectionate expression, almost like a real mother.
However, Sun-young struggled to continue her words.
“It’s a bit difficult to say…”
“What’s so difficult?”
Sook-ja laughed.
“Just tell me whatever it is.”
Sun-young bit her lip for a moment.
Then she spoke cautiously.
“I came here… planning to stay for three years.”
“That’s right.”
Sook-ja’s gaze changed slightly.
“You need to complete the three years. Why is that?”
Sun-young clenched her fingertips tightly.
“What if… I don’t complete it?”
“……”
“Can I pay for the remaining time with money?”
Sook-ja took the cigarette out of her mouth.
“What money are you talking about?”
“The money that Mrs. Song received when she sold me was seven hundred won.”
Sun-young continued slowly.
“If I calculate the time I’ve been here… and pay back the remaining amount…”
She felt a lump in her throat for no reason.
“Would that be okay?”
Sook-ja was silent for a while.
Then she asked slowly.
“Why?”
It was a short question.
But within it, there was already a lot of suspicion.
“Is it because you don’t want to be here?”
“No.”
Sun-young shook her head immediately.
“Then are you trying to go somewhere else?”
“Not really.”
“Then why?”
Sook-ja’s gaze deepened gradually.
Sun-young lowered her head for a moment and then quietly said.
“It’s just…”
She swallowed hard.
“I don’t like being tormented by people while holding a glass.”
“Is that all?”
Sook-ja didn’t let it go and asked again.
“Is there no other reason?”
Sun-young couldn’t bring herself to answer directly.
Sook-ja stared at Sun-young’s face for a while before chuckling softly.
“Say everything that's inside you.”
And she slowly exhaled the cigarette smoke.
“I have a rough idea already.”
Sun-young's face turned red.
“There isn't much else…”
“Are you trying to get married?”
For a moment, Sun-young couldn't say anything.
She turned bright red to the tips of her ears.
Sook-ja's face was already one that understood everything just from that reaction.
“Do you think I'm asking for no reason?”
She smiled gently.
“Tell me in detail. What's going on?”
Sun-young hesitated for a while.
But in the end—
She poured out everything about Dae-cheol from start to finish.
The incident where he saved her life in the Wonsan sea.
The bond that followed after that.
Dae-cheol visiting this house twice.
Even the marriage talk.
Sun-young didn't hide anything.
Sook-ja was listening quietly.
Then suddenly she asked.
“That person…”
She spoke as if recalling a memory.
“He was a young man in a suit, tall and slender, right?”
“Yes.”
“He came twice in the evening.”
“Yes.”
Sook-ja nodded slowly.
“I see…”
And then she looked at Sun-young.
“Do you really like that person?”
Sun-young was silent for a moment.
Then she smiled very quietly.
“First, I want to repay the favor.”
She seemed to lower her gaze as if recalling Dae-cheol's face.
“And…”
Sun-young's voice trembled softly.
“If I really didn't like him, would I have those thoughts?”
Sook-ja quietly looked at her.
Then she slowly spoke.
“A favor is a favor…”
She continued while extinguishing her cigarette.
“A person is a different matter.”
The air in the room became a bit heavy.
“Marriage isn't something that easy.”
Sook-ja's voice had become serious by now.
“It's about living together, laughing and crying together for a lifetime, and going together in life and death…”
She looked into Sun-young's eyes.
“Is it going to be easy?”
Sun-young quietly nodded her head.
“That's right…”
She said softly.
“Once you do it, there's no turning back.”
Sook-ja stared at Sun-young for a while before slowly opening her mouth.
“As for me…”
She said while lighting a new cigarette.
“I've only seen that person twice, but I still don't feel good about him.”
Sun-young's gaze momentarily wavered.
“Why?”
“A person, regardless of gender, must have a good nose first.”
Sook-ja had a very serious expression.
“But that person has a slightly crooked nose…”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Somehow, he has a cunning look.”
Sun-young's face hardened.
Sook-ja continued to speak.
“I've lived sixty years and met many people.”
She slowly exhaled cigarette smoke.
“Even if I'm not good at reading faces, I can generally get a feel for a person just by looking at their face.”
Sun-young listened without saying a word.
However, unpleasant feelings began to rise within her.
She disliked speaking about Dae-cheol like that.
Sook-ja seemed unaware of Sun-young's feelings and continued speaking.
“And to be honest…”
She gave a tired smile.
“I never intended to have you serve drinks for me indefinitely.”
Sun-young's gaze wavered slightly.
“Since you came, the number of customers has increased a lot.”
Sook-ja said as if calculating.
“You've already earned your keep. You've even paid off quite a bit of the old debt.”
And then she suddenly smiled bitterly.
“Do I have children? Do I have a husband?”
She put down her cigarette.
“No matter how much money you save, what good is it if you end up dying alone?”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Sook-ja slowly continued speaking.
“So, you see…”
She looked at Sun-young.
“If a suitable person comes along, I thought about getting married and living together with both a son and a daughter.”
Sun-young was momentarily speechless.
She never expected that such thoughts had crossed her mind.
Sook-ja chuckled softly.
“But it seems this matter has come up first.”
And she shook her head.
“Still, I can't let my greed ruin your life.”
She said with a sigh.
“It's someone you love dearly, so what can I do?”
Sun-young felt a little choked up inside.
But at the same time—
Sook-ja's constant disparagement of Dae-cheol still made her uncomfortable.
It felt as if she was deliberately finding faults due to her own greed.
Sun-young quietly opened her mouth.
“Whether it goes well or not…”
She spoke calmly.
“It will happen as it's meant to.”
And she looked at Sook-ja.
“That's not something that can be entirely controlled by human effort.”
Sook-ja silently gazed at her.
Sun-young slowly brought the conversation back to the main point.
“So…”
She spoke cautiously.
“If I get married, you can agree to what I mentioned earlier, right?”
Sook-ja narrowed her eyes.
“Are you saying we should calculate the remaining time in money?”
“Yes.”
Sook-ja thought for a moment and then chuckled softly.
“If you were planning to go to another household…”
She said firmly.
“Even if you brought money or silver, I wouldn't let you go.”
Sun-young swallowed hard.
“But if it's about getting married, then it's a different story.”
Sook-ja waved her hand dismissively.
“I'm not that heartless of a person.”
Sun-young's gaze wavered.
“So don't worry about that…”
Sook-ja took another drag from her cigarette.
“Just prepare yourself.”
And she added until the very end.
“Still, I really don't like that person.”