TTS Vol 1 Ch 3.1

3. Twenty-Four Years Old

“You look so young, dear. How come you do this kind of work late at night? Trying to earn your tuition?” 

A heavily drunk middle-aged woman asked from the back seat. Taeri, focused on driving as she faced forward, glanced at her through the rearview mirror with a practiced smile.

“I’m not a college student anymore. I’ve already graduated.”

“Oh, really? Preparing for a job then?”

“Yes. I figured I should earn some pocket money until I find a job.”

“My, how commendable. Still, you should find something else. You have such a pretty face; it’s dangerous dealing with drunk people.”

“The boss favors me, so he makes sure I only get good customers like you.”

“Oh my, what a sweet talker you are, just as pretty as your face. I wish my daughter would get her act together soon but she’s still too immature, it worries me. The student’s, no, this young lady’s parents must be so proud of you.”

With those words, the middle-aged woman drifted off to sleep. Taeri carefully drove the car, pressing the accelerator and brake as softly as possible, ensuring a comfortable ride for her sleeping passenger.

When the car came to a halt at a red light, Taeri glanced out the window. The city now looked bleak, affected by the slight chill that had come with the autumn weather.

The glow of the taillights from the car ahead bathed Taeri’s face in red, casting shadows that hinted at the burdens of life she hadn’t perceived before.

Two years and six months. A time span both long and short, during which seasons had changed numerous times. From spring to summer, summer to autumn, autumn to winter, and winter back to spring.

But it wasn’t just the seasons that had changed. Changes comparable to the seasons, or perhaps even more drastic, had swept through Taeri’s life.

In this way, both seasons and these changes arrived steadily in her life, but the difference between the two was clear.

The changes in the seasons are considerate. They give you a heads-up. 

I’ll start getting warmer. I’ll soon be cooler. I’ll be very cold starting tomorrow. 

The seasons gave us a warning in advance—through the wind, the air that touched our skin, sprouting buds coming back to life, and the withering leaves.

However, the changes that visited us offered no such courtesy.

[Executive of Aju Capital, Mr. Kang, suspected of embezzling over 5 billion won]

5 billion Korean Won is approximately 3.8 million US dollars

[Aju Capital executive arrested on suspicion of embezzlement: Concerns about fleeing and destruction of evidence]

[Aju Capital embezzlement: Seven-year prison sentence handed down to the executive]

The luxurious apartment they used to live in Seoul vanished like a mirage, replaced by a two-room, run-down rental. Her father, once a high-ranking company executive, became a prisoner. Her mother, who used to teach violin to underprivileged children for free, has now set aside her generosity and begun charging for lessons.

In less than a year, a tidal wave of changes had not only swelled and swallowed Taeri’s family whole but had also flung them to the very bottom. It happened so easily. So quickly.

That was when Taeri realized. 

Ah, we weren’t truly wealthy. Our family was fragile enough to crumble this easily.

Shame washed over her, realizing the arrogance she’d held, believing they were at least above middle class, if not quite the wealthiest.

Her mother never explained in detail why her father went to prison. Not that she would have understood even if she heard the full story.

All Taeri knew was that during an internal audit, her father had been suspected of embezzling more than five billion won, and because it was a prominent financial company, the case was reported in the news, and her father received a prison sentence. That was the extent of it.

The strange part, however, was that, despite the alleged embezzlement of five billion won, neither a huge amount of money nor hidden assets was found. Nevertheless, her father’s company filed a claim for damages, and the court readily ruled in the company’s favor.

Even the relatives who were once affectionate were the quickest to cut ties when they were asked for financial help, and even if her father had succeeded on his own, it would have been impossible for an ordinary salaryman to fight against a massive corporation. A classic David versus Goliath scenario.

 (다윗과 골리앗의 싸움): “David and Goliath’s fight,” a common idiom used to describe an uneven struggle where one side is overwhelmingly more powerful.

Once her smooth-sailing life went off course, it became a tangled mess she couldn’t unravel. Everything she had in her hands slipped away, and they were even left with debt.

The news spread through her college like wildfire, branding Taeri as the daughter of a criminal for the rest of her college years.

She didn’t graduate. During her second semester of senior year, after failing miserably in the interview she had prepared for with a securities firm, she chose to take a leave of absence.

Her mother tried to convince her otherwise, insisting she needed to have a university diploma, and firmly opposed her decision. But Taeri submitted her leave of absence form that very day, right before graduation.

There was no particular reason for making such a rash decision, but perhaps it stemmed from her fear. Receiving her diploma meant she would no longer be a student, a stark reminder she’d officially become an adult.

One peculiar thing was that, until she submitted her leave of absence form, the only person among her classmates who ever talked to her was Park Sihyun, the one who used to bully her.

Even Park Sihyun had stopped showing up at school after a certain point. Rumor had it he was set to join a major corporation. Given his grades, it was obvious he hadn’t earned the job on his own, everyone knew it was through his family connections. After all, Park Sangheon had just succeeded in securing his fourth term, flaunting his influence.

In the end, what helped Taeri the most during her hardship was the 100 million won in her bank account, the money she’d so vehemently refused from Park Chigyeong.

She didn’t ask Park Sihyun about his brother. Sometimes, she felt a strong urge to ask, but she knew nothing would change even if she did, and that further involvement would only bring more trouble. Thus, she made up her mind to think of it simply and completely put it behind her. Now, Taeri no longer had the luxury of being curious about that man.

The comfortable life that twenty-two-year-old Taeri had found so tedious was completely shattered. Now, at twenty-four, all she had left was uncertainty and insecurity.

She had finally escaped her father’s suffocating control and regained the freedom she had so desperately longed for, but now that she was thrown into that life, she came to understand.

This wasn’t the life she had wanted. 

Humans are fickle, selfish creatures.

After finishing her shift, Taeri entered a familiar place. Thick with the stale smell of cigarette smoke, this place resembled a raccoon’s den, filled with the constant chatter of card game terms like “Hit” and “Stay.”

Just because this gambling hall was illegal didn’t mean that the work or the people she worked with were all terrible.

While there were occasional difficult customers, those existed everywhere you went. This place, ironically, was actually one of the places that had fewer of them. Because its existence itself was illegal, everyone acted cautiously. That was the reason, absurdly enough.

Someone tapped Taeri on the shoulder as she was emptying an overflowing ashtray filled with cigarette butts. Turning around, she saw Seo Yijoon, flashing a wide bright smile that revealed his pearly white teeth, waving a black plastic bag that wafted a smell of fried food.

“Let’s eat together.”

Seo Yijoon, two years older than her, was a coworker at the gambling hall. Sometimes, due to his appearance, he even appeared younger. It was probably because of the dimples that showed whenever he smiled and due to his light hair color.

““I got your favorite tteokbokki too.” 

Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food made of chewy rice cakes, fish cakes, and vegetables in a spicy sauce.

“Wow, really? Then I’ll just wash my hands and be right back.”

“Sure. Come quickly before I eat it all.”

“Oh, come on, oppa, you wouldn’t do that, would you?”

Oppa is a Korean term used by females to address older males, often implying familiarity or affection.

Taeri looked back at Seo Yijoon and flashed him a cheerful smile.

However, that smile vanished as soon as she entered the restroom.

The poorly maintained restroom always smelled unpleasant. Even though she’d adapted to everything else, this restroom was one thing she could never get used to. Her body, which had once only stayed in clean places, still seemed to be stuck in the past.

Gripping the sink with both hands, Taeri quietly gazed at her weary reflection in the mirror. Every time she did this, it always reminded her of someone. Those dark eyes, heavy with fatigue.

Even after more than two years, she found it strange how she still remembered those eyes so vividly.

Resting her forehead in her hand, Taeri closed her eyes, shaking her head to clear away the idle thoughts in her mind. Then, she consoled herself.

It’s okay. There’s nothing surprising about adapting to a life people might call a sh!thole. And it’s not really a sh!thole, is it? It’s not like I’m selling my body for money.

She washed her hands thoroughly and wiped the water on her clothes. Just as she was about to leave, she paused, turning back to look at herself in the mirror, as if observing a stranger.

There stood Kang Taeri at twenty-four years old. Her youthful recklessness subdued, the bright spark in her eyes extinguished.