PTC Chapter 6. Beginning of Spring

Da-in’s heart ached at the sound of her mother’s trembling voice. Since her older brother, Soohyuk, went missing, they had been in constant contact with Taesung Group. But the only response they received was that there was still no news.

“Mom, it’s not dangerous at all. Korea isn’t a lawless country. And I can handle things myself, so don’t worry.”

“Auntie.”

Looking at Sol, her niece, who had finished her strawberry milk and was smiling innocently beside her, made Da-in’s chest feel even tighter. She hugged Sol tightly.

“Sol, Auntie will braid your hair.”

“Okay.”

Sol, who loved having her hair braided, offered her head to her aunt. Da-in carefully braided Sol’s hair, which wasn’t very thick, revealing her round head.

“Our Sol.”

“Auntie.”

Hearing her call her “Auntie” with her cute little lips brought a smile to Da-in’s face involuntarily.

“Sol, Daddy said he’d bring you a present if you’re good to Auntie and Grandma, right?”

“Yes.”

“You have such a pretty voice.”

As Da-in carefully braided Sol’s hair with a fine-toothed comb, Sol smiled at her reflection in the window.

“But isn’t it past our Sol’s bedtime?”

“I don’t want to sleep.”

“You have to sleep well to get better quickly. Right? Auntie will help you sleep.”

“Auntie, carry me on your back.”

“Okay. Should Auntie give you a piggyback ride?”

Da-in adjusted Sol’s IV line and carried her on her back. After pacing back and forth for a few minutes, Sol’s head rested on her back. Da-in felt the child’s warm breath against her.  

A child’s life force. It’s because of things like this that no matter how hard life gets, you don’t realize how hard it is, and just keep going.

Her brother, missing in Zambia, would definitely come back alive. With such a lovely daughter like Sol, he couldn’t just disappear like that.

Then, Kang Seojun’s words suddenly came to mind.

‘I can even buy you a house in Gangnam.’

100 days. Less than four months.

‘If we live as a married couple for that period, Kang Seojun’s lifespan will also increase? Does that even make sense?’

He truly believes in such ridiculous superstitions. Is it because he’s rich that he can throw money around like that? 

As she gently laid Sol down on the bed, her mother whispered,

“I’ll go home and get some necessities, so you rest.”

“Mom, just stay here. It’s late.”

“You have to go to work.”

“Exactly. Just come back before I leave for work.”

“Alright.”

After her mother left, Da-in pulled out the accompanying bed under Sol’s and lay down. In this small hospital room, the guardian has to curl up and sleep until the child recovers. Lying down, Da-in realized she didn’t have much left in her bank account. After paying for Sol’s hospital bills this month, next month’s living expenses would be tight.

‘What should I do?…’

It was something she would normally refuse without a second thought, but money was the issue. And maybe, subconsciously, there was something else lingering. It was nothing other than a 100-day marriage.

She sighed repeatedly. The curtain separating the beds in the multi-patient room swayed. It seemed like the guardian from the next bed was passing by. Da-in exhaled quietly once more.

What’s the big deal? It’s a little embarrassing, but… No, wait, why should I be embarrassed? I’m the one who broke up with him.

To be precise, it was more like she was dumped.

But either way, Kang Seojun must think he was the one who got dumped. He’s the one who should be embarrassed for clinging on after being dumped. What do I have to be embarrassed about? I’m the one accepting someone who’s clinging after being dumped. And I’m getting paid for it.

That thought made her feel dejected.

“Right. I’m getting paid… In the end, Kang Seojun has the upper hand. No, wait. Even if I do it, it’s just a contract. Still, the one who pays has the upper hand. He’s the boss.”

She felt dejected again.

Sitting up again, she looked at the sleeping Sol. The sweet child fell asleep right away after being carried on her back. Da-in stroked the sleeping child’s head.

‘She resembles her father, and maybe she also resembles me, her aunt?’

She saw her younger self in Sol. Da-in lay down next to Sol, and smiled once more as she watched her.

***

Knock knock.

“Yes.”

Seojun answered, and the door opened. As Junghee stepped inside, Seojun was impeccably dressed and ready for work.

“You’re up early and ready?”

“Of course. Grandma said I absolutely have to put up the ipchuncheop on Ipchun. I should do this for her.”

Junghee smiled, finding Seojun endearing, despite his reluctant obedience to his grandmother’s wishes.

“Okay. Let’s go downstairs. I came to see if you were ready.”

Every year, they put up ipchuncheop¹ to mark Ipchun². Ipchun Daegil, Geonyang Dageong (立春大吉 建陽多慶). It means that as beginning of spring, they wish for great luck and many joyous occasions.

Because their family holds many traditions dear, Soonja considered putting up ipchuncheop during Ipchun very important. It represented Soonja’s hope that with the start of a new year and the arrival of spring, their business would prosper and good things would happen to their family. It was a custom passed down through generations. Seojun went down to the first floor and attached the ipchuncheop to the front door. The bold calligraphy was striking.

‘Who on earth still writes these days?’ he thought.

In the past, they would have also put it on the main gate, but they no longer did so. Soonja had made a significant compromise.

‘Passersby would think this is a shaman’s house. Who puts these on their main gate these days?’

It was because Seojun had repeatedly expressed his disapproval.

After putting up Ipchun Daegil on the south-facing front door where the sunlight streamed in, he entered to find breakfast laid out. The food was always excessively elaborate for a morning meal. Soonja sat down and offered him ssuktteok.

“Eat this too. It’s ipchun tteok. You need to eat ssuktteok to welcome spring.”

What difference does it make to live according to the solar terms? Especially in today’s world, where things run 24/7, regardless of day or night.

Despite his thoughts, Seojun took a bite of the tteok his grandmother offered. It was filled with the aroma of mugwort.

“How is it? Is the seasoning right?”

“Who makes tteok at home these days?”

“Who else, but me? I may not know other dishes…”

“But your tteok is amazing.”

Soonja laughed at Seojun’s words. She took immense pride in her tteok-making skills, and she truly was talented. In the old days, she would make a whole table full of tteok to share, but these days, lamenting the loss of such neighborly affection, she still steamed tteok in a siru (steamer) to give to her grandson.

Seojun hadn’t liked tteok since he was young. He was familiar with it, but he didn’t enjoy it. Familiar but disliked. It never suited his taste.

Is it because it’s morning? Why is this ssuktteok so hard to swallow today?

As Seojun pondered this, taking another bite, Soonja offered him soup.

“Have some soup, too. Don’t just eat tteok.”

“Grandma, I’m not a child. Stop fussing over me.”

He sipped the soup and took another bite of tteok when Soonja spoke.

“I heard from your mother about the girl she found for you to marry.”

The tteok he’d swallowed felt like it was coming back up. Seojun put it down.

“I said I won’t do it.”

While he usually complied with his grandmother, even if half-heartedly, this time he firmly refused. Soonja frowned.

“Why not?”

“I said I’d find someone myself. She’ll be my wife, after all.”

“It’s a 100-day marriage. Why be so picky?”

“Even if I can’t be picky about everything, I should at least like the person I’m going to be with.”

Soonja while agreeing with him, was also worried. She tilted her head.

“What if you like her and want to continue living together after the 100 days? That curse will remain with our family.”

“That won’t happen. It’s not like we’re going into this without knowing it’s a 100-day marriage.”

“People’s hearts aren’t like that. After living together and becoming attached, even for 100 days…”

She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence, when Seojun cut her off.

“I won’t get attached. And if you’re so worried, why do it in the first place?”

“Can you even find someone?”

“Wouldn’t I be better at it than you, Grandma? In this day and age? Should I put up an ad online? ‘Modern Living CEO seeking wife. 100-day contract only.’”

Soonja clicked her tongue.

“Are you joking? What would happen to the company if you did that?”

“Exactly. Why do something that would ruin the company’s image and the family’s reputation if people found out?”

“Why else? To try and save my grandson. The family line must continue.”

He had no response to the whole “continuing the family line” argument. It was something Park Soonja had devoted her life to protecting.

Junghee sighed softly at the bickering between her mother-in-law and son.

“Isn’t it time for you to leave for work?”

“I’m late. Putting up ipchuncheop, eating tteok, and talking about marriage like this in the morning… I’m so tired I won’t be able to work at the company.”

Soonja clicked her tongue at Seojun’s words.

“Such exaggerated complaints from a young man in his prime.”

“It’s not an exaggeration. I’m not like I used to be. I get tired easily.”

“Where? Where do you feel unwell?”

Seojun sighed at the wide-eyed concern of his grandmother and mother. Their excessive worry about his health was a family trait.

“Nothing’s wrong. It was an exaggeration. I’m going to work.”

It was better to escape the situation quickly.