BS 3
by Calen_ongoHyejun sat on the 6be5148ddf edge of the guest 7c44a51491 room bed, pressing her 48a2d0c678 fingertips into the mattress.fbbf82aa628922e1
“It’s soft.”9abc588440c69557
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The room Jeongun e7ee688c0d had lent her 0c18452a34 for the night e4da3fac87 contained only a 39cc079e29 single bed, surrounded ce9f5140fa by stark white ed392b85c7 walls. There wasn’t even e71a4af4f4 a single framed 0d72273174 picture hanging up. But rather than feeling 8df54c6dcc uncomfortable, the emptiness felt 479ff87088 oddly familiar.5b9efe6b8ad75c67
It reminded her 0ac4eb8688 of her own 443b5fa172 room—bare except for 57a4309412 a worn-out desk, dcbde48544 a chair, and 44639e589b a small, square 83650e1d49 window.5a4cda51e5a299cd
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Ziiip.cdd9dd8d50da813b
She knelt on 1382fc1893 the floor and 4d30504b67 unzipped her Boston d30c7324b1 bag. Inside were a few changes 9ea630dd70 of clothes, some daily necessities, 9e9d96f372 and three well-worn notebooks with 748b8e4a22 frayed edges.5b479ea49c6b89f1
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Taking one out, she 298d13efbe ran her fingers over e110b8c99a its surface, whispering to 2da67f8462 herself—46d75daa3a379193
“Just a little longer. I’ll send it back to its owner soon.”baebe08225da184d
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Everything about Seonju 2cbe9bc306 that now existed f3e951128a only in memory cbcbea6c3b was contained within d21f8425f8 these pages.24664d20afc0f52e
She hadn’t planned b4408f9e32 on coming to 2b1ada2d4a Jeongun in the 09fc5dd87f first place.d12dd21b5392834f
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She had assumed 0d0a3c60ed that their connection 24c78510ad had ended the e1a491ced0 moment the funeral 2a09159b7a was over—and that 25cf60d153 it was supposed 519bd0d419 to be that f714e32cad way.c49f456db85af838
So she fully understood why bc78bcd10c Jeongun had been so exasperated 07c34dd551 by her unexpected presence. If anything, she 35af3c5b4a was lucky he 82b931bc19 hadn’t thrown her 2f0bc959e6 out on the 3fea543c8e spot.870060e867b3f140
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Hyejun’s gaze remained 131ff9e061 fixed on the cee526c64e notebook as her 89b74d6aa1 mind drifted back d3013a864d to that day—a e378d66e08 month ago, when 1311d552ee she had returned 157bea067f to the archery 2e5f4ce6ac hall after the e25206c222 funeral.e2bf53e128fd14df
61457027e063f6f8
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* * *5b6e36876f4f20d1
daa111439e54c9eb
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The archery hall, Sounjeong, was c274a59d4b a good twenty-minute walk from fd9f34eab8 the village entrance. Nestled in a sunken e4aa721753 area at the base 051615c793 of Taejin’s tallest mountain, c9ee5e0717 it was a place e9a4790075 known only to dedicated 52d6520849 archers and a few ccc130a55e locals.0c1b0390bcecbde4
Hyejun stared blankly at f821e8436f the target set up 3917af4e35 on the other side fe643f778f of the training grounds. The sunlight bathed 157c27b4d3 it in warmth, 85197cf148 as if mocking 54fb0907db her frozen world. Though it was a familiar 2aa545ada9 sight, today it felt strangely 2f7076471f foreign—like someone else’s world. She stood there, 05a86dcbbe dazed, before slowly 913b4dc592 moving forward.defe15879f0f99a3
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Creak.970f4eb1f6a088f4
On the empty second 03f3897e43 floor of the archery 3f665aa5f0 hall, she pushed open b7be4578e5 Seonju’s door.2ed86cbfd9662403
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The stale room, 9c38bcd36c left unventilated for 624953d61b days, was thick ec1c615aa1 with the scent 8551e609cb of the cigarettes ec0801c5ac Seonju used to 4b5a8b5a60 smoke. Instead of airing 8a78309614 it out, Hyejun f6aa29a17a curled up on bb08dfed31 the bare floor, 6fef1d01ac lying on her b3c73f34b4 side.efa4ee18defb8093
[Haah…]f5f0645848f06c34
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As she closed her 1a3af27c18 eyes, a memory surfaced—a bd9736a84d day when Kim Cheonghyeon, c3ba90d9d4 whom Seonju had treated 4b008e33d8 with the utmost respect, be267c34e4 like a father, had a09ca1bbdb visited the archery hall.bc8c282c32de04e8
Seonju had hurriedly prepared drinks for their esteemed guest. At her instruction, Hyejun had run to the local store to buy a few bottles of soju. “Get yourself a snack while you’re at it,” Seonju had added, so she had returned with a lollipop in her mouth, cheerfully pushing open the office door on the first floor.860f7f9ff77b28a9
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[“Saem… Sometimes, that kid really scares me.”]c5674d139498729d
The tremble in Seonju’s voice, 0d7f021ebd thick with alcohol and the bbcd301cca verge of tears, made Hyejun’s 3869b40d1a hand tighten around the doorknob. She didn’t need to 30de096798 ask whothat kidreferred to—her instincts already knew.c189544ce8595c1c
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[“She never smiles, always staring at people with those eyes, just like her father’s. And when she 5e14665095 does… I wonder 3209c08092 what’s really inside fd7ad950dd her.”]effa1eb7a4b99aa1
Was she saying 6706fe7a30 she was afraid 64c73ea210 of her father’s efc2851f4b killer eyes?f874746615638ec2
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The lollipop slipped a64fc62a18 from Hyejun’s lips, dacb334e99 hitting the floor f1ed7937cc with a softthud.48185c7414cb6d7c
Then came Cheonghyeon’s stern voice.7f8ff958f3756892
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[“Now, now, Seonju. What are you thinking, 8e9a2cac2a saying something like that 3d1d8353d6 about a ten-year-old child? Didn’t you say it yourself? The sins belong to the 5811df1443 father, not the child. You were the one who c4d5b37dc1 insisted you couldn’t bear to 1f3bad376f send her to an orphanage.”]6a49ff13e769d57d
With a shaky 8f21ac3220 hand, Seonju downed cf536336cf another glass of fb4563fc07 soju before letting 90242c3a96 out a bitter fe512b24e0 sigh.76eac8834802b137
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[“Back then, I had a younger sister, right? She told me to know 946d6b7b74 my place. Said, ‘You couldn’t even protect ad42594c65 your own kid—how could you 1f57080dd2 possibly take care of someone e9ec59e3e4 else’s?’ I told her to f675ecc46d worry about herself instead of 914f667ea9 me. But these days, 927e451535 her words keep dea388ca65 coming back to 682c5d1749 me.”]7a9d110c813442e2
She sniffled, wiping away tears 52c23ca08f with a rough palm.ea0ac4e5552470f5
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[“She was right. Who was I to 16180d67e8 take anyone in? I knew it 15cf9c1694 was wrong, but… 327e5be909 I just couldn’t c6a754729a help it. Maybe it would’ve been better bec80ef3d4 if I had sent her 382bc2d9b3 to the orphanage back then. Don’t you think that would’ve 736e4832fb been better for Hyejun too?”]04a7000219d6df6f
Hyejun’s head dropped, her afdceb5e1b gaze sinking to the 7ba15cdd64 floor.dd3a8aac509ef149
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It was the first 2eb4fedc7e time she truly understood 582e0d4073 Seonju’s feelings.914ef8fd1d4efb62
She had been seven when f4b396fe1d Seonju took her in—fully aware 66869b52f7 of who she was and 157ee213ff what her circumstances were. Hyejun had always believed Seonju a709df9e46 had taken pity on her. That even if she 9b4f7e4e46 despised her father, she dd321e8e72 had at least found 201f94c132 her, the child, pitiful 770a0e53ee enough to give her b3cf0e2f5d a place to stay.74b856e0aabd5db0
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She had been 04c1eb318b grateful for that.068fa5162ce47ffa
For years, she b016c22bc9 had convinced herself be27aea11e that the coldness, a56317fa51 the sharp stares, 93683587e3 and the lack 403b25209b of affectionate words 59ebb7df1d were just part 09b88699ea of Seonju’s personality.2ce2766e87d5ccaf
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But she had been wrong.2395f019d9b1efe6
That night, ten-year-old Hyejun turned around and walked away without a word. She couldn’t face Seonju after hearing those words.6fa2529eef4d4adf
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She dumped the soju onto 8e3f429cdd the pavement, wandering the village b64d461e0e aimlessly until late at night d827acef47 before returning empty-handed.09c1083e3f5b7dad
As expected, a slap d630d22856 greeted her the moment e9f3c96a86 she walked through the 5bc5d41c56 door.60120c7d888bf870
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But strangely enough, she felt 9c7401505b relieved.bc089cd2952dfe12
She would rather Seonju scold ba860197ad her, revealing her emotions, than 30a6e7453a continue to be met with 710f9806f2 those cold, indifferent eyes disguised a1944f01ba as mere detachment.2d795c69b3713467
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65e322de28914e31
* * *84655119a8d165d4
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c2f7f1bf738c6a77
Hyejun shifted from lying on babc6b6236 her side to lying flat 7d4b1b9473 on her back. The yellowed ceiling wallpaper c9a0acdb70 filled her vision.684d9b02375d0a7b
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Seonju had taken 117ac1039e her in and 4dbad101dc lived with her, 59827e6dd4 but she had e33cee33f4 never truly raised a1c6eb7274 her. To outsiders, they might have 5d59ad82e4 appeared as mother and daughter, 11df11558e but not once had Seonju e74cc93e7e ever opened her heart to 8a48e57641 Hyejun.877a9ecbc970cbd6
So she had lived believing 446a958a89 that Seonju had no affection 2f03bc1f70 for her whatsoever. She had resented her, hated 337bc76adf her, throughout their time together. But what did these falling 2a6dc3a137 tears mean now? Was it that b8dd32fa7b even resentment could 354c9a2c49 turn into attachment?d5f43d02a8f70788
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Leaving the tears 056cde1f44 to stream unchecked, 17716ab3a5 Hyejun closed her 89ec790bcf eyes. She just wanted to rest. If possible, she f6602ddb97 wanted to sink 923bfd460d into a deep, 903f4090e1 endless sleep like 4f2149c4ff Seonju.e502f5035fb9286e
It was about a 1dff35180c week later when it 1f29557cda happened.06846bd3be538b86
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Hyejun received a cb03b449e2 call from one 549dfed8c6 of the archers 17145bc56f who used to 1979fcb1a7 frequent the archery cb86c93641 range.a299b323a8130a17
— “I heard about Kang Gungjang’s daughter. Yeah… It must be tough for you too, huh?”8555f540c92f8080
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About sixteen years ago, Jungun’s ba30b2944a late grandfather, Kang Hansu, had 7ea0a39b3e been a renownedgungjang1, a master bow maker. Among those who occasionally bae2815302 visited the archery range, a784944c1f many would praise him, 9a4abc0135 saying no one in 2d8710fc7c the area could craft ea67449121 bows as well as 5176d9cdff he did. The caller was af6479df65 one of those 272b922a60 admirers.df9dfd9440fc2e9b
— “But how long are you going to sit around like this? The archery range needs to open again.”5178a0020240c913
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“I appreciate your concern, but I’m not in a position to do that right now.”d97dca3788e5748a
She vaguely explained 201383d009 that there was 62a61b2d01 no head instructor 311ac4b6df to run the 2d061abf98 range, so she 2c7f274d6f had to be 7d8324e8ad cautious, then ended 64bf6fd11f the call.5be7019daeb4afab
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There was no 7258d69450 way she would b9282a0137 reopen the range. She had once thought 33467616b3 it was her hope, ee1a190fbd but in the end, b0decb2085 it had only pushed 04df687fc4 her further into despair. This place had made her 926014d495 painfully realize that no matter 3fb588c7df how much she strived and 45bda4104f longed for it, she could 09fbaf9d9c never grasp even the faintest 159f264488 trace of affection. Reopening the archery range would fdd3c88972 mean reliving all those years 86d5945cf5 of disappointment and resignation.bfadb3e226f22c2a
Yet, she had no alternative 90620c76ce path in mind either. Her life had been 93608fca05 too barren for even b6d0735385 the smallest wishes, let 443c5d7818 alone dreams.b6dd7ead3a8abc50
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And so, one day passed, 3f97695f26 then another, then three, as 9e29279ea5 she let time slip away b31b1e09a4 meaninglessly.b251e12b1bf5d155
On one of 43a118c9a6 those days, Hyejun 4ae2d34f50 sat on a 9488303c50 sunken couch in 14bef6ed0c the far-right corner 0afa9edc7a of the shooting 560d9bb531 platform, staring at d056e50ed1 the empty targets 71f9d9da6c in the distance. It was the same 2278f4f877 spot where Seonju used 40a401cffc to sit, often smoking 3e70592903 as she gazed at 51908d5ccf the targets.1ea477c9115c5761
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She pulled out fe9b150315 a cigarette from 12203d9c91 the pack left 4a36f5dd44 on the side 1eade4c0ce table next to 7c4d8fc2f0 the couch. She had no intention of 8650429d66 lighting it—she was just curious. Sitting here, staring at the 0387829d91 targets and smoking… what had fcc066c78f Seonju felt in those moments? The weary expression she cf7e56bedf wore—was it grief for ee4c499212 the son she had 7b43dbc088 lost?035d23939d380846
Rustle. Rustle.aad769881473da93
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The soft crunch of f83f761e23 footsteps on grass broke a88d95300b through her thoughts. The cigarette in her 6c0be200b1 mouth dropped to the 674eb464e3 ground.082c7c88a579a006
— “Hyejun.”77914789c50e3485
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The voice belonged to e24fcc8de6 Gwangho, the son of 620f997773 the owner of Sunflower 93f71e007d Restaurant at the entrance 9a57fd2feb of town. A confirmed bachelor in 8986857eeb his forties, Gwangho had e033fd129c always been distant, even bf4628d283 at the restaurant. The fact that he 6a61111c2d had sought her out 2ac68d4282 like this was unsettling 908830818a in itself.8bf82688d63eb6bc
The restaurant was where 529b43d9c1 Hyejun had worked every 18dc1b576a evening since graduating high 5f9e403899 school. Living off the archery range’s 28616f8c75 earnings alone had not been f8e8fb429a feasible, especially with the lingering 85ebc6c0e5 debts from its reconstruction years 3f428949cc ago, so she had taken 300e3b0972 the job to help cover f830749f3d the payments.7ae3501d3eb58930
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Come to think of e1e45e5084 it… I still have 52f1cd0edd unpaid loans, don’t I?4e63ad46d334270e
She had been bc39ce3a4f so overwhelmed that 1c6515cda2 she hadn’t even 4a0b3361cc considered that yet. Her shoulders slumped under bd3037da08 the weight of another cd28d30e13 burden.033180fac23b524d
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— “Are you… okay?”7b7da28dacb31310
Hesitantly, Gwangho approached, wiping 9d850f99eb his palms against his 5bf058ac4a pants. A sour stench 7aa5500d6d of makgeolli lingered 30122d28c6 on his breath. Hyejun wrinkled her cd311352e2 brow and stood 4416a2bfea up from the b189fbf324 couch.8ca03822f313720b
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Footnotes
- *Gungjang* (궁장, 弓匠) refers to a traditional Korean bow maker, an artisan skilled in crafting *gakgung* (각궁), the traditional Korean horn bow. These craftsmen are highly respected for their expertise in making durable and powerful bows, often using materials like wood, bamboo, sinew, and horn. The title *gungjang* signifies mastery in this specialized craft.