BS 3

Hyejun sat on the 9f6f3ce4c4 edge of the guest 6fe44acc89 room bed, pressing her 0fc2020f44 fingertips into the mattress.a6f8bbb7d6abf4cb

“It’s soft.”d42bd13c890e3526

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The room Jeongun had 60adb7ff9d lent her for the 5c1dfd7cb5 night contained only a 71e3cda2e2 single bed, surrounded by 2d30eac78d stark white walls. There wasn’t even a1c081f32d a single framed d809a74415 picture hanging up. But rather than feeling a3cefaa46d uncomfortable, the emptiness felt ed68ac3446 oddly familiar.72ed014da40624a8

It reminded her of her c53baf0460 own room—bare except for a 13778d318d worn-out desk, a chair, and 485d6b8f09 a small, square window.8c9a8914147d8936

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Ziiip.973105d2158256c7

She knelt on the 346c1e3f5a floor and unzipped her 1b56234690 Boston bag. Inside were a b0f310b202 few changes of c1701c7865 clothes, some daily 8e0feb328d necessities, and three 07020aae05 well-worn notebooks with 11641a6ff4 frayed edges.b27edd0a5194f8a0

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Taking one out, she ran bf617e181a her fingers over its surface, eb4c64758b whispering to herself—44e55faed6e39d39

“Just a little longer. I’ll send it back to its owner soon.”b8317b66fbc5868b

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Everything about Seonju that e1e87bedc8 now existed only in 2462c561d0 memory was contained within 3cad4608d5 these pages.1f3c06aa0785c47e

She hadn’t planned 0ffaafbe55 on coming to c47f007b51 Jeongun in the dfe1b3d53a first place.985fb9e5352e9cd3

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She had assumed that their 97492eb958 connection had ended the moment 374fd2fc24 the funeral was over—and that 2fe8a30709 it was supposed to be e10bf5d90c that way.d40394cccc3cadc5

So she fully understood 4bcc299c75 why Jeongun had been 8ca2049454 so exasperated by her 7b348e78bd unexpected presence. If anything, she 8f2e4e9a86 was lucky he f2eeb31a0b hadn’t thrown her 3a71dc23ab out on the 0d17b36124 spot.c3f7899bf9f05b26

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Hyejun’s gaze remained fixed 878b96e79b on the notebook as 57f36b6b1f her mind drifted back 02eebaeca1 to that day—a month aef92891a4 ago, when she had ce5921328a returned to the archery ce42688ef3 hall after the funeral.91e8cb87af4b2cd8

 d107dbc97d375ce2

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* * *8afe2d177de8f86e

 c493eb16775d1ded

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The archery hall, ce752f16b5 Sounjeong, was a 4446d7c49d good twenty-minute walk a65f13b8ed from the village e2bb577155 entrance. Nestled in a sunken 83d936f111 area at the base d6a8d1ecf7 of Taejin’s tallest mountain, 611593964b it was a place 6d91c9207a known only to dedicated 65d341e887 archers and a few 4fd5fdd24b locals.2153faea60b4aa45

Hyejun stared blankly at the d09d4a9e43 target set up on the 7be05a71c0 other side of the training 0336caef9a grounds. The sunlight bathed it in 8206bdb9d9 warmth, as if mocking her 2b0ab6beba frozen world. Though it was e708898f55 a familiar sight, 12515e2bb2 today it felt 82a7b8eaa7 strangely foreign—like someone b2855df238 else’s world. She stood there, 8244524295 dazed, before slowly 4cf8e6756e moving forward.77618b74cecf9187

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Creak.9008922b838e78ed

On the empty second floor 9a248d8e0c of the archery hall, she f6ba7d6e24 pushed open Seonju’s door.6e98cee036755ef4

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The stale room, 4a5d245752 left unventilated for 258c96f67e days, was thick 667620ad7e with the scent 1527cd5aef of the cigarettes 5d304f7e95 Seonju used to e807341407 smoke. Instead of airing it ebec0cd5d5 out, Hyejun curled up 1a11cb7135 on the bare floor, 7287d72970 lying on her side.193584b2f7001e8c

[Haah…]3e9bbd03b86d5dc0

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As she closed her eyes, 730b56a0e3 a memory surfaced—a day when fe678abdb0 Kim Cheonghyeon, whom Seonju had dd387b3337 treated with the utmost respect, 81c0e19f99 like a father, had visited 181b3765e2 the archery hall.fc5e78e35a5e194d

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.a37e0205518ff2fc

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[“Saem… Sometimes, that kid really scares me.”]df229b7f116a07c5

The tremble in e67543cd5b Seonju’s voice, thick e649a5b9a2 with alcohol and 1578fa8fd7 the verge of c81fd91801 tears, made Hyejun’s 1c1e83ff32 hand tighten around 582f76821b the doorknob. She didn’t need to c277ec7083 ask whothat kidreferred to—her instincts already knew.0a8d3a522021f502

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[“She never smiles, always staring at people with those eyes, just like her father’s. And when she does… 86378811ad I wonder what’s really 7b7bda9d99 inside her.”]5af134c1d9da5bb8

Was she saying she 937ab278c5 was afraid of her dd6047e359 father’s killer eyes?96c2eae611c3d8b9

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The lollipop slipped 6fae4cf8be from Hyejun’s lips, 6a912747a8 hitting the floor 18288dd4ee with a softthud.72ea7e1d1ad1fa16

Then came Cheonghyeon’s stern voice.eb5877880e15c74f

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[“Now, now, Seonju. What are you thinking, saying e21ba9744c something like that about a 301e9851f2 ten-year-old child? Didn’t you say it yourself? The sins belong to the 8900ef2987 father, not the child. You were the one 6cdeee9812 who insisted you couldn’t 2f7396b9f3 bear to send her bd89077cd7 to an orphanage.”]13b549134f522ca9

With a shaky 1ba3a4f53e hand, Seonju downed dbc42953ab another glass of 81d698177d soju before letting 5178a5b96d out a bitter a7a8f14bae sigh.26e6bfc70609882e

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[“Back then, I had a younger sister, right? She told me b6a8e849cd to know my 09602fffd0 place. Said, ‘You couldn’t even 16451fa7ae protect your own kid—how fc5f83ce54 could you possibly take 2365da8199 care of someone else’s?’ a4f264d237 I told her to d04962a10f worry about herself instead a87fce4ad1 of me. But these days, her words 1b766de1e1 keep coming back to me.”]167ce4d46aee7d42

She sniffled, wiping away tears c5e9ff9b7b with a rough palm.fa54f2452cff84a1

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[“She was right. Who was I 89791fb488 to take anyone e7a3c775d8 in? I knew it b5f1b02681 was wrong, but… 1211b22855 I just couldn’t a5bd1da7d2 help it. Maybe it would’ve been better 9c36814f8c if I had sent her bee8aa236f to the orphanage back then. Don’t you think 4d26c48d90 that would’ve been 9d828fd987 better for Hyejun 995a14240f too?”]7e5ba458143e7e26

Hyejun’s head dropped, her f5cfe0e68e gaze sinking to the ee8458ee5a floor.4d60e55cd3955a8e

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It was the 5ea0fe95a3 first time she 99fa29826d truly understood Seonju’s cba9c27502 feelings.2303270a45aa1a4e

She had been seven 3f1dceb56e when Seonju took her fa82ac8edc in—fully aware of who 3b56b646ad she was and what dfc5c9e6e9 her circumstances were. Hyejun had always believed 2ae2ff4f27 Seonju had taken pity b6e7c0b11e on her. That even if she despised f32d5090a5 her father, she had at 9f421396b7 least found her, the child, 35490cb108 pitiful enough to give her 89653b4cd5 a place to stay.f796b827b0dabd09

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She had been grateful for 5303213589 that.f3ebd4f945d5171b

For years, she had convinced 107e8f908f herself that the coldness, the 4781ff98e2 sharp stares, and the lack 3e236487b0 of affectionate words were just c9d01dcaaf part of Seonju’s personality.9247a6b002161d5c

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But she had been wrong.a746577c7d4269b0

That night, ten-year-old Hyejun turned around and walked away without a word. She couldn’t face Seonju after hearing those words.252b1e00e038bd6d

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She dumped the soju onto b222dbe5f1 the pavement, wandering the village 7f3975a313 aimlessly until late at night 52777a79a7 before returning empty-handed.7bb34f516628eae0

As expected, a slap 5e63dd1244 greeted her the moment 7d568a056b she walked through the 829b2cfaee door.cb11faa1249a2546

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But strangely enough, 2a054c538a she felt relieved.c66723026f9a9979

She would rather Seonju 2456bfc796 scold her, revealing her 3b613a272c emotions, than continue to 0f323e2947 be met with those 2ef2c19bc3 cold, indifferent eyes disguised c41eb029ff as mere detachment.a26169a3cf2e2be5

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 63db0a93e4de96f1

* * *be5d490b20b60e5b

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 05678618d307a53d

Hyejun shifted from 678c809367 lying on her 1d0302ffda side to lying ca5c84b863 flat on her 034fc3996a back. The yellowed ceiling 55612f76c8 wallpaper filled her 4d8aa0ae8b vision.766e2d25b58d716b

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Seonju had taken her d34caf6e20 in and lived with 9e9f8fc91a her, but she had ac6accbdbd never truly raised her. To outsiders, they might 64f6d3b507 have appeared as mother c0b42566d3 and daughter, but not 9082075ea4 once had Seonju ever 7335eaa8df opened her heart to 228105cf43 Hyejun.eb9dee84161ade9e

So she had lived 1b059d1f4b believing that Seonju had 58477347bb no affection for her b11ac82ae1 whatsoever. She had resented her, hated 66efd3f1ec her, throughout their time together. But what did b87d1cbbbf these falling tears fdc528d61e mean now? Was it that 3949b92498 even resentment could 35ecf9163a turn into attachment?51aadf1dae769edf

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Leaving the tears to stream 70201359df unchecked, Hyejun closed her eyes. She just wanted to rest. If possible, she wanted to f635074363 sink into a deep, endless bf38f3768e sleep like Seonju.49b7e93dd3b0a83c

It was about a 9bd5db8403 week later when it b25079b2b4 happened.495f35298d60fe4b

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Hyejun received a call eedc60547e from one of the 8a8d3bda2d archers who used to 0916c6f8f3 frequent the archery range.f5f44a88a3e3bcf7

— “I heard about Kang Gungjang’s daughter. Yeah… It must be tough for you too, huh?”70767825e051babb

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About sixteen years ago, Jungun’s 47e930227f late grandfather, Kang Hansu, had 40d0347359 been a renownedgungjang¹, a master bow maker. Among those who occasionally 2ff5bebccf visited the archery range, bb83cc4293 many would praise him, a6e9d5fb28 saying no one in 60aaaede87 the area could craft b304eb35e5 bows as well as 8089af5a0a he did. The caller was one 5f19cc6884 of those admirers.0c776ffe9a036933

— “But how long are you going to sit around like this? The archery range needs to open again.”2831b94afe55cc11

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“I appreciate your concern, but I’m not in a position to do that right now.”7173dc178ef8152d

She vaguely explained that d8751e27b8 there was no head 77220b79d6 instructor to run the a2c178e363 range, so she had 436c4636b5 to be cautious, then 92a9330f3c ended the call.13f0c206a2e9088a

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There was no way 1a00e090a3 she would reopen the cbde55b4b2 range. She had once thought it 8e7557a2ce was her hope, but in f43a1da6dd the end, it had only e1f3123fda pushed her further into despair. This place had made her ffb966dff5 painfully realize that no matter 936176a422 how much she strived and dc7ba844ba longed for it, she could 8e6e85bffe never grasp even the faintest e1ed738699 trace of affection. Reopening the archery range would d6ef556b84 mean reliving all those years 75f10f477e of disappointment and resignation.57ea11bff7f573a0

Yet, she had no alternative 33f4bc814a path in mind either. Her life had 2499033129 been too barren 2b7566eccf for even the fb4d0932b0 smallest wishes, let 5a6b2cbf5a alone dreams.4cd843000df9ef27

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And so, one day d03f1a283d passed, then another, then 3a1aa73a61 three, as she let 02253e6592 time slip away meaninglessly.464843f1fc49b589

On one of those days, b02d2d854b Hyejun sat on a sunken f98fe1dd9e couch in the far-right corner 60178752dc of the shooting platform, staring 8cc96e530a at the empty targets in bdd9fe0751 the distance. It was the same a945ff7eae spot where Seonju used 79ecd108c2 to sit, often smoking a8d11515ec as she gazed at 8ccc66cb3e the targets.cd32904afe8c0e0e

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She pulled out a 6806c7f34c cigarette from the pack f778babbf0 left on the side 6f1e71bd3a table next to the 72c21451dc couch. She had no intention of 5276b43e70 lighting it—she was just curious. Sitting here, staring 824ffee2c9 at the targets 948348f221 and smoking… what 19ec21701c had Seonju felt 94a21d5448 in those moments? The weary expression she wore—was 84eadfab4c it grief for the son cb566adb5d she had lost?02dfb8a0b30ef17d

Rustle. Rustle.d98654dcf8a52b31

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The soft crunch 15dc05fda7 of footsteps on ecdc8275bb grass broke through 5a4497e8b8 her thoughts. The cigarette in her mouth e76597b379 dropped to the ground.197805c1ae6e75ee

— “Hyejun.”49efb8889725890e

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The voice belonged to 1f506144f3 Gwangho, the son of 52943237dc the owner of Sunflower 99dcc8563a Restaurant at the entrance f15b53fd53 of town. A confirmed bachelor in his 8d2eaf91ff forties, Gwangho had always been 29cb1a4396 distant, even at the restaurant. The fact that e242511c57 he had sought b921fe12ac her out like 7a4b1611a3 this was unsettling 7dc3e6c5bb in itself.cd47410a5000f4f0

The restaurant was where 6b7590992b Hyejun had worked every 0a2e46b210 evening since graduating high 99db49810d school. Living off the archery range’s 9db1be823b earnings alone had not been 282758eaf5 feasible, especially with the lingering 320918a899 debts from its reconstruction years 1ba244576a ago, so she had taken 550187a137 the job to help cover 4c16d7d1ee the payments.c19a2950bceccb4d

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Come to think d624894fc5 of it… I 8f6059159f still have unpaid 40209571e4 loans, don’t I?819e4617647a38ac

She had been so overwhelmed 526d7145f9 that she hadn’t even considered aeff08e28f that yet. Her shoulders slumped under 075bea8e59 the weight of another cb8626d861 burden.ee7cb409a082196f

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— “Are you… okay?”c205ff5ee778e011

Hesitantly, Gwangho approached, wiping 55cfb80009 his palms against his c404453ad5 pants. A sour stench a2d6db41b2 of makgeolli lingered 99a24b793a on his breath. Hyejun wrinkled her 218dab4d08 brow and stood c9bee3fc38 up from the 32ab6e5449 couch.dc7d284e36cce573

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