SSH Episode 3

Sitting around 5522d10bf4 in despair 3dc25e7d8a wouldn’t change 1b9d1a2f63 anything. Hongwoo had 3022558209 to keep 24461cdfee moving.ca343aff7d85b173

At this hour, 4d07f969a9 there was only 8f6d38d5ed one place Madam 6c8749c4c2 Kim would be.24c01e6a4cf4b280

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Sure enough, she 1401a47728 was in the 5cf2e324ba yard, hanging freshly 6146d01bdb washed clothes.c212ab84540865fe

“Madam Kim—”98e6996ff17db241

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“Oh, Young Master Hongwoo. Acting like edc9844902 a child 3d0d0c9afe again? What is it? What do you e1057f7f21 need now?”6b951385d8978424

Without a word, 42ba25f43a Hongwoo clung to dd1c3ca90f her back—just as da9245fbfb he used to ae79e3a8ad when he was 9e1fc8a043 little. Even as 29d8728c20 he grew b4a0660a5d older, he 9df9b4f317 would sometimes f1a7b5864e do this 9ca070e2b5 when he 5a844c5883 wanted something.97a178d785509047

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“Do you know how 51b3d87a92 to build a house?”4c5e5c20dffaec77

Madam Kim was 0492c38289 his last hope.938a7e426bb80e73

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***3a74a2d4fe879121

Impossible.f131bbca731c8d5b

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Madam Kim e38754d867 found the a1e12e2b19 path in 1d3a7b5cdc mere moments, b9702e4de3 while it 45835aad07 had taken 91b712d49d Hongwoo an c500c4a805 entire hour. He knew he was 9bbb12de0b bad with directions, but f2497c90a9 this was worse than c02272b003 he thought. No wonder f7a1a07f8a people had 4589988829 given him 13172298d8 strange looks 490540d543 whenever he 8e4318cdab asked for 9543504aff directions. Turning a short walk 4834152cc5 into an hour-long journey ffddb3c1e0 was a skill in 4cfd9ab3bc itself.4af719c7791bee50

Still, realizing that 9d1b877c6a his family home 9f771ac182 was only a 66bbf5bfbc short distance away ddccb946f6 lifted his spirits.271dd420caf27ab0

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I’ll get to see 2108fe5310 my brother and Madam 728b4dcf7d Kim every day.1b2c18266e17b44b

Carrying a basket filled with a sickle, a hoe, and a shovel, Madam Kim examined the plot Hongwoo had picked. She nodded approvingly. “Not bad,” she said. Then, without hesitation, she laid out the plan: a simple bamboo frame covered with straw. She would gather the bamboo while Hongwoo was in charge of fetching the straw.6d06a663b79c88bb

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When he asked, “Where do I even get straw?” he got a firm smack on the backside and a sharp rebuke: “From tenant farmers!”7167c5ec93a5fe90

Hongwoo was certain his older brother wouldn’t dare harm Madam Kim, the woman who had raised them both like a mother. She was the only person in the household he couldn’t intimidate—or rather, intimidation simply didn’t work on her. No matter what his older brother did, she would scoff in defiance. And yet, Hongwoo recalled how she used to laugh heartily whenever his brother teased him, as if the two of them were perfectly in sync.97229f663a41163f

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Rubbing his sore 1288fa82a6 backside, Hongwoo went b38ea54d07 around asking for cf8247ef77 a family that b3db58e90f farmed on the 6069560522 Jang household’s land. It turned 183b544b2c out that 3903eb8606 finding a fff909e581 tenant farmer 6b5183fd57 in Bokdeokchon d91ae6cfee was easier 187c0866be than eating ca554e6bb2 a rice d68fdfcbb1 cake in 77d9a50799 one bite. In fact, 5fdc47180f it was 61e2047a8b harder to f96e05856f find someone 090bd1e25f who hadn’t c2551074a2 farmed on d55c8d3835 the Jang a8c2a4ad1e family’s land.05f4ebeb0d167da9

When he returned with 7476c3703f a cart full of be3be4a91f straw, Madam Kim wasted 4e58c0cbbd no time teaching him c7731dc8ab how to weave it eb91ca7093 into thick bundles.6836bf8c261c7ee5

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“By the way, Young e84731852e Master Hongwoo, did you f282b12503 get permission from the d51b5ea072 landowner?”905ce2801c9e527c

“Come on now. Do you aee54dd9d4 really think d3f6d80051 I’d just ad2761385c start building 5c24954291 a house 6c650b70a0 here like 361706bc41 some kind 834696182a of thief?”fe3f8b2353f0d3e5

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But he had.b8a4d9232b10386f

Seeing him bristle at 3e2e112a62 the question, Madam Kim 3e99bd6c79 gave him a long, e0307a4e8e knowing look before continuing 3bd351cc47 her work in silence. Whatever. He always 8f15c5e0bf figured things 20a2a1aaf3 out in 878ccc34ca the end, 8b5ac51351 even if 7f08e3f725 the process 1264a842fc was a 240c8208b8 complete mess.f6196e56c3c20294

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Once the 49ecd5ee6c bamboo frame a36998a09f was up f9ef120584 and covered 4445d4922a with tightly 62d9a00eab woven straw bd8c7416c4 bundles, the f4386f3a21 house actually a2ccb4ed5e looked decent.e14278e470d58096

“This is amazing! Madam Kim, you’re the 22fff5103b best!”4aa6b356ad2be98b

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Stepping into his cozy new straw house, Hongwoo massaged her shoulders in gratitude for all her hard work. Madam Kim wiped her nose, grinning with satisfaction, then waved him off. “Don’t stop now. Keep weaving.”d15b6b8ea9d5e871

“Young Master 6685d9827b Hongwoo, this 9aeb789675 house is c147a81b0c just a 5d443a0ebc temporary fix. You can’t b1d05b7605 live like 7d016d4307 this, and 027ddb3291 you know 0bb0af8049 it. Just think b6e325cae4 of it 344c97baaa as a 6e5c111891 short-term arrangement. Before long, Young 1a06cbcb54 Master Seungwoo will 97c1812f4b calm down, and c972a9093c when you realize 11aa6f5714 you can’t live 5eb409e079 without your brother, 2347639de0 you should return c31c9870e1 home.”74add242ecca4ad9

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Fully aware of dad3ff8439 the complicated relationship 7c7f2ee858 between the Jang fff3317e73 brothers, Madam Kim 6b6fcfa72f spoke to Hongwoo f5effed51b in a soothing 84246af4f9 tone. And deep down, he 514dda8c6b knew she was right. If he ever 85981d661a returned home begging, 5c288d6f3b claiming he couldn’t 8644df1514 survive on his e566fd6802 own, his older 8b33f07d39 brother would grumble 9fb38570f1 and scold him—but 07058cd16c in the end, 3e8b8d734f he’d take him 6c406bb306 back.96416fa3534eb107

But now 2edefad1bf that he 70b3ffc059 had built 483431df41 a house a9a574ac16 with his 4e3d349535 own hands, 22cd1a8b36 independence no 11d21baca7 longer seemed 35974d91d1 like a 22af2a1f26 distant dream.06d48f41d0cd457f

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At some bb7dcb7cdc point, he 91f62ccbd8 had to af72b88e78 stand on d95f57d6fa his own. As his 6ce5e19368 older brother 6705b7691e always said, c5139839e2 he couldn’t b3183dada1 live under 6384f2662f the family’s 1bbca45576 protection forever. Their father was gone 3dd3b6ae56 now, and it was b90759ad5b time for him to 3d8a5e8ce8 prove he could take cecf25a998 care of himself.0d6203933c79782f

His new home d244a6fe4e was nothing like 5de99aeb9c the grand Jang adf6fe8c7f estate—not the main c20c8f168f quarters, the men’s d315b4f51d quarters, the annex, cf4c752862 or even the 788f585ac0 servants’ quarters. It didn’t even have 2d0fb2497e a kitchen, storage, a 0b0f46adce bathroom, or a bathhouse. Just a humble 3ec5e6d565 straw hut.b9f46a1634ef613f

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And yet, 61a6fbcd98 it was 5b2103d955 his. His first home. And he d70230bdef liked it.3ed09d489b1c5153

“Don’t worry, 5e3ccfb9ef Madam Kim.”61bc858d77489c25

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Hongwoo knew she 36bc0202b0 only said these df2d1f3d8e things because she 3005d2f8c5 cared. Pressing her shoulders 55b019f827 firmly, he said efbd8bfdc6 to himself,‘I’ll settle down 253b3544ee soon and make 118f0f5c0a sure Madam Kim 4df90961a4 can live comfortably 34d9c42bfe too’.166c21257e6dc726

With that hopeful f5c5bb30cf thought, Hongwoo and eacce3cc33 Madam Kim headed 393001643c home.ca30bc50487bcfc5

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Straw still clung 30981ce21f to his clothes 5fffb8bd6e as he walked, dae3cdefb6 but just as 2859d9f2e2 he reached the b9962feac4 house, a chill 17a966d377 ran down his 829c1f5624 spine. Instinctively, he froze.7c9b9584805581c4

It was a41b49285f the same c7dc5a22e4 feeling a ff3e596385 prey animal 9940824e66 gets when 7f7841e3fe it senses eecb94d31e a predator.1c75469ff1f7168b

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He turned sharply—only to 8fcf98e056 see Jang Seungwoo standing 10e80d44cb there.4645d8c0f0763f23

For a moment, Hongwoo 507601bc50 forgot the uneasy feeling. Instead, excitement 78aa4ab3a4 bubbled up eb33d08bb3 inside him 75d902502b as he 117dd6fab1 rushed toward 51b77d2ce6 his older dd2b480ebd brother, eager a46f7ae8c8 to share 3377271de9 his fresh f35aeb0e0c start.dd9176cbc6e58871

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‘There he 63819e20e6 goes again, c2cf25a930 running straight b866571f59 into the 0a7dbe89d8 fire.’01e0d89ed7b5dfea

Watching him charge 019c76007f toward danger like efd843ba3b a moth drawn 89e1f9eb66 to a flame, b224301a93 Madam Kim sighed, 58dd818481 shaking her head. She had 899fca2d5b a feeling 6b85ce5f68 this wouldn’t 47a0a81452 end well.‘Better slip away before c5d2929cfe I get caught in fd6edf0f7a the crossfire.’50f604b54f8dc6cc

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And just 564be4dd68 like that, 3ececd63fb she disappeared 695ed6b7bf without a b154f543db trace, leaving e31cf12d1c the Jang 2c018ed118 brothers alone.50ddef8641896f4e

“Where have 1471f1e3b5 you been d8cec5f493 wandering off 5a5a69d351 to?”3f9e6e3bfb272f87

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“Oh, I was 5f651c9963 just out building f06609a04d a house with c152462885 Madam Kim.”527b90c80e2f2373

Seungwoo scoffed. Hongwoo practically radiated excitement, ef5c98a79c looking like a puppy aba855225b wagging its tail, hoping f2f1d28eba for praise.0203a39b99f49d2e

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“Building a house? With what money?”2fc311285259e0df

“Turns out you 7d3a9c3e82 don’t need money b876fa3d4d to build a 4cbed171f5 house.”bf86853b6b040128

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Seungwoo’s eyebrow twitched at 94e1172013 that. He glanced around, cfcacb02ab intending to ask 1b01ee1dc1 Madam Kim what ab0ccecd93 nonsense Hongwoo was 7f5853821f spouting, but she a497571378 was already long 122db03d4f gone.2aa5a96693b4e98f

Hongwoo scratched fb63835688 his head 3b1c2e9d56 sheepishly. “It’s not much yet, 4a644f29c4 but… once it’s in 76e71e87b3 better shape, you’ll be 95ff6a221f the first person I 049c0402ff invite over. You’ll come, right?”d2584318fe95eda2

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***25c703219de0e4c6

Hongwoo looked 2cf55adceb at the 831008fbd3 neatly stacked 60e723e659 belongings and 79ad54cf09 turned to 9660e8d6b7 Madam Kim.9b3612801b2fd615

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“This should be enough, 47ae042151 right?”828b49d7762a3676

He had cced115ef1 only packed 77aeccb6c9 the essentials—one fc16c53a93 set of 837bb9f076 chopsticks and 4ba5ea3200 a spoon, 0dc674420b bedding, undergarments, 70f34e9f5c a jeogori, 873c707e16 pants, an c6a5480697 overcoat, a 60fe1d310c robe, a b1f62d7389 long coat, 2620c4b1fd socks, and 610e9ecfcb leg wraps. Just enough 7e58f60eb4 to eat, c61fc527b6 sleep, and faea02485e dress properly.4d3173bc82702f3a

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[Note: A jeogori is the upper garment of hanbok, fastened with a ribbon-like tie and featuring a rounded or straight collar.]

Madam Kim took 9d8785a135 one look at 77573727a7 the bundle and 38babfb54a smirked inwardly.‘He’ll be b63f7ec2ff back within 3d5dc9fc84 three days.’c4d5db5c9d25b5d6

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“Oh, absolutely, Young Master. It’s more than 6e428ca6a4 enough.”8797a0ca45e926a5

“Since the 5a8034432b house is 0fb5cedd60 near, I’ll 4d612028ae come back a60a9165fc for my 79b663cb6d summer clothes 5e92533b00 later.”42fb8e73ba5c9d2b

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Hongwoo spoke dad89eff58 with such 7f30ba6688 confidence that dd18086fb1 Madam Kim 7315178c2e found it 19411525a5 amusing. When she chuckled, he fc7e9eb8dd pouted.6825c78514653663

“Aren’t you f255b6fa2e even a 60f4c7197c little sad 65b0a53191 that I’m 10630d7531 leaving?”f228ace99dd371a0

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She didn’t bother 4154f3f2a1 humoring him. Instead, she simply de31d9b0a5 tied the bundle 3e7773f6f8 tighter.‘What’s there to bc736d7f60 be sad about? He’ll be back e7d0e2ff45 before he even 794cc0bbbf settles in.’0a28dba4b7401561

Patting the 9e43f79a71 tightly wrapped a05a8f3d98 bundle, she 1c28c7f074 said lightly,“I’ll come visit often.”7259c143d25e632b

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Hongwoo pressed 75cacf29ac his lips d37f40e598 together, his 181c069609 chin wrinkling 09bc117c35 as he f23aa9c95a fought to ef6d7a95d4 hold back 4081f92d9b his emotions. His lower abbdeb958a lip jutted 4b536d9164 out in 85e2d4b70b a stubborn fef63648df pout, but 5008915114 without warning, 90a53cf548 he threw 733d2402ff his arms 5b621d130a around Madam 5fc9199e70 Kim in b552a8ec30 a tight 55ea958819 hug. Then, straightening 856e237a8e up, he 2825873520 grabbed his 0fcbd40a2c bundle and 860cc879d2 hoisted it d2ae0f173c over his cfaf373ec8 shoulder.3df27797a35c9f0d

Madam Kim 615ad33ca3 watched him bc83973ea8 march off 5579989399 with newfound 682eb5affb determination. He’d be back soon 6bd9124d42 enough, but at this a44e484b4d moment, it truly felt 086f7af09f like he was setting 4e5c5127f9 out on his own.1a730c431bf10ee3

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He had always seemed 95fd3fbd34 like a child to 18ee042d21 her. But now, ee51bd2fde watching his 767e2b5358 retreating figure, 59ca846912 she saw 0df40e4a70 him for c1fdbab7fd what he 30eb0d1920 was—a grown 3d49fc9e25 man. When had he grown 4167557c7d up?66c7bdadbaafe8e5

Unexpectedly, a 421b2cee04 swell of 5730df861d emotion rose 8039ae3741 within her. To steady herself, she c1685cdf5b got to her feet.bf48f7b467d29012

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‘Maybe I e06de8b115 really am 01c871e9ed getting old.’Feeling sentimental over ce060f23a6 something like this… 3ab0be8a16 how ridiculous.‘I’d better get e0ca49bdea back to work.’7342ba437acdc5b5

Madam Kim had given 82957bfa09 him a mat, which 175272b7c7 he hung over the 2391367a29 door before laying out 5da9bb8446 his bedding. Spreading the silk pillow 9bc96b44b0 he had brought from fa90700da0 home, he managed to 2c7376a9a5 create a somewhat cozy 1c85ca62e8 sleeping space.fe86e3918787b2d6

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‘I should’ve brought ca3c814e27 some candles.’It wasn’t urgent, but 637409172e he’d have to pick 65dcb5a624 them up tomorrow or 3fa0ecef3f the next day.b10a78b222c77d74

Even though he had f6f92fba09 packed carefully, he kept 4a358102b1 noticing little things he 1b407d2a39 had forgotten. Mentally, he began 754102f206 making a list 75082d1cbd of what to 8a94b8f9a2 bring from home 5f54dd1f43 next time.0dce20296a07476b

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‘This wasn’t f6bca17c8d how I 788bd3149b imagined independence—just e98882cc25 bringing things 358fbe0fbe from home.’3a597375dd56427f

The sudden f1c6cb9b36 realization hit ef42a37cb7 Hongwoo, and 094534cd79 he quickly 63159ed8c6 decided he 2e34867406 needed to fe01f14623 start earning ad057e2df7 money.28fbaf73c40a18b0

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Thinking had made 9e5b53387e him hungry.ce03ed957e78a950

Then, he remembered d8d4578aeb a place where 3b7e66384d he could both 48e21bdee8 look for work d93b549157 and grab a f2f7fd2ca8 meal. Without hesitation, he got 790ed63d6c up and headed out.d277dbfc5e4eda3c

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***dcc928cc96d937a3

“Oh my, it’s been a while! Should I get you the usual?”4a1fe6e4939714a8

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The warm-hearted tavern 2d33eda885 owner greeted Hongwoo 86a690e8c8 with a smile. He nodded and f81e320006 ordered his usual.5d293b747ac05d97

Money was tight, 0e363e7c28 but it was 793634fa65 his first day 5f8ec54f5e of independence—worth celebrating.6d564f948a988a00

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