Ephphatha Chapter 3

Seul-ah looked at Kang Jin’s back and the river in turn, slightly flustered.  

 

When asked what she planned to do with the remains, she had said she wanted to scatter them in the Han River if possible. But she hadn’t actually expected to come here.  

 

What was he up to?  

 

Feeling uneasy, her eyes darted around, and Kang Jin frowned.  

 

“He told me to do as you wanted, so get out.”  

 

The subject seemed to be Kwak Chi-gyeom.  

 

Why would he give such an order?  

 

She was curious, but knowing he wouldn’t answer, she quietly got out of the car.  

 

At dusk, the Han River felt particularly desolate that day.  

 

Seul-ah glanced anxiously at the empty surroundings and then at Kang Jin.  

 

Did he bring her here to get rid of her without anyone knowing?  

 

Sensing her fears, Kang Jin let out a curse, making her tense up and cough nervously.  

 

Still, considering he hadn’t actually threatened her so far, there must have been something she didn’t know.  

 

After hesitating, Seul-ah turned her body toward the river.  

 

“There is no point in running, you’ll just end up in the water.”  

 

“…….”  

 

Holding the urn tightly in both arms, she took a step forward.  

 

Kang Jin stood in front of the car, watching her intently.  

 

Seul-ah swallowed dryly and followed the downward slope.  

 

The river wind lifted her hair into the air.  

 

Shaking her head side to side, she roughly tidied it and stared anxiously at the water.  

 

“Hoo….”  

 

Revisiting this place, where she had once nearly drowned and where her mother had taken her own life, was emotionally overwhelming.  

 

But she had come here because she felt it was what her mother would have wanted—even though she knew she wasn’t supposed to scatter ashes in the river.  

 

Her body trembled uncontrollably, and it took her a long time to finally open the urn.  

 

Clink.

 

The lid slipped from her hands, hit a rock, and shattered into pieces. One shard narrowly missed her leg. Taking a deep breath, Seul-ah carefully scooped up some of her mother’s ashes.  

 

The river wind carried them away far too easily. Her eyes sank into a daze as she watched.  

 

“…….”  

 

After her mother’s suicide attempt, their relationship had never been the same. Conversations had drastically decreased, and when they were alone together, the air was heavy with silence.  

 

Perhaps uncomfortable with this, her mother spent most of her time in her office.  

 

Whenever her mother didn’t come home, Seul-ah would stay up all night, afraid she might attempt the same thing again.  

 

She was too scared to call like she used to, and only when her mother finally returned home did she feel a fleeting sense of relief.  

 

Countless times, she had secretly checked if the office lights were on before going back to her room. The more those nights piled up, the less they spoke.  

 

Her mother’s suicide attempt had left Seul-ah wounded and betrayed. She felt disappointed and hurt. Even though she had been there, her mother had still tried to leave her behind.  

 

Still, that didn’t mean she hadn’t loved her. And it wasn’t that she didn’t understand. That’s why she hated herself for the harsh words she had thrown at her mother. The more she resented her, the more awkward things became.  

 

And the more awkward it got, the more distance she put between them. She hadn’t wanted to be born weak. Her mother hadn’t wanted that either.  

 

She knew that. And yet, in the end…  

 

Seul-ah felt like she might cry but didn’t.  

 

She simply watched the scattering ashes in silence. Then, suddenly, the wind shifted, causing the ashes to drift sideways. As she instinctively turned her head to follow them, her breath caught in her throat.  

 

Kwak Chi-gyeom, whom she had no idea had arrived, was sitting on the hood of the car, watching her.  

 

“…….”  

 

As he took out a cigarette from his pocket, Kang Jin, who had been standing back, immediately stepped forward to light it for him. Seul-ah quietly observed their interaction.  

 

His silhouette, tangled in the hazy cigarette smoke and deep orange sunset, looked pitch black. His expression was unreadable, and the shadows made him appear even larger than he was.  

 

Seul-ah shuddered involuntarily. The urn in her arms, the fear of these unfamiliar men—everything felt as cold as the river wind.  

 

As she curled up slightly, the man standing at a distance gestured for her to continue.  

 

“…….”  

 

For now, all she could do was scoop up her mother’s remains once again. That was all she could do.  

 

***  

 

“Heard you called the cops?”  

 

“…….”  

 

Sitting beside her in the backseat of the sedan, Kwak Chi-gyeom crossed his legs and asked.  

 

Seul-ah clutched the lidless urn in one arm, pressing her other hand over her nose and mouth, and leaned against the window.  

 

“I… I couldn’t.”  

 

“Don’t take it too hard. Even if you had, nothing would have changed.”  

 

“Excuse me, Mr. Kwak Chi-gyeom.”  

 

He let out an exaggerated sigh.  

 

“Ah, you picked the most boring approach.”  

 

“Can you put out your cigarette?”  

 

She leaned her face out of the open window, pleading.  

 

But Chi-gyeom ignored her, puffing away without hesitation.  

 

Cough.

 

The smoke he exhaled quickly filled the space around her. She couldn’t block it all with her hand, so she pulled her sleeve over her face to shield herself. After coughing so much, her heart pounded irregularly, making her uncomfortable.  

 

She tapped her chest lightly with her fist, and the corners of his lips twisted into a smirk.  

 

“Wow, I feel like garbage now.”  

 

“Please… put it out.”  

 

“And why should I?”  

 

He sucked in the smoke until his cheeks hollowed, then turned toward her as if ready to exhale it in her direction. She had no time to dodge, so she squeezed her eyes shut.  

 

But instead of feeling the smoke, she heard the faint hum of a window rolling down. When she opened her eyes, he had turned toward his own window, blowing the smoke outside. He rubbed the cigarette against the seat carelessly before tossing it to the floor.  

 

Fresh air rushed in through the speeding car, diluting the cigarette smell. Finally able to breathe, she lowered her sleeve.  

 

Chi-gyeom nodded.  

 

“No need to be too grateful.”  

 

“…….”  

 

“Did you sleep well?”  

 

“What did you mean when you said my mom wanted to save me?”  

 

She responded to his question with another question. There was no need to explain that she hadn’t slept a wink all night because of the sudden appearance of a stranger. He, too, didn’t seem to be expecting an answer and simply let it pass with a smile.  

 

“I’ve heard that our royal patient has a tough time living alone.”  

 

“……”  

 

What was he trying to say? She turned away from the quickly passing scenery outside the window and looked back at him, feeling frustrated. Chi-gyeom was leaning his head against the seat, gazing down at her.  

 

“……”  

 

There was an oddly seductive air about him as he lowered his long, sharp eyes. Only now did Seul-ah recognize how different his looks were from his crude speech and behavior. She suddenly realized that he was, in fact, quite handsome.  

 

Yesterday, she had been too overwhelmed and terrified to give it any thought. But seeing him again, he was undeniably a rare beauty. The line extending from his eyebrows to his nose and chin was as if it had been meticulously sculpted.  

 

“Stop ogling me already.”  

 

Startled, she looked up, only to find him smirking faintly.  

 

“At least pay me if you’re going to stare like that.”  

 

It seemed like a joke, but it wasn’t funny in the slightest. So what if he was handsome? His words were unbearable. Seul-ah frowned and tried to put more distance between them. Of course, since she was already pressed against the door, all she could do was shift slightly in place.  

 

“In any case, Han Ji-seon, who was terribly worried about her daughter’s future, eventually dragged me into this mess.”  

 

“……”  

 

“And poor Chi-gyeom, the sacrificial lamb, ended up becoming the one to predict the daughter’s future in exchange for an appropriate reward.”  

 

“Can’t you just speak properly?”  

 

“You’re quite the irritable one.”  

 

He chuckled as he lazily swung his crossed leg. Seul-ah nearly snapped at him—who wouldn’t get annoyed with that kind of conversation?—but when her eyes met Kang Jin-ah’s through the rearview mirror, she swallowed the words. She wasn’t brave enough to throw a fit while trapped in a car with two unknown men.  

 

Instead, she kept tugging at her sleeve absentmindedly. Chi-gyeom, who had briefly glanced down at her, pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her.  

 

“What is this?”  

 

“It’s a photo. What else?”  

 

It was indeed a photo, just as he said. But she hadn’t asked because she didn’t recognize what it was—she wanted to know why he was showing it to her. However, he shook the picture again as if urging her to take it, so she reluctantly accepted it with a sour expression.  

 

In the crisp, color photo, a man who looked about the same age as Chi-gyeom was smiling. But aside from their similar age, everything else about them was starkly different.  

 

With his neatly styled pomade hair, a navy-blue suit with the tie fastened all the way up to his collar, and a gentle expression, the man exuded an air of meticulousness. He was the complete opposite of the thug currently sitting across from her, lounging with his shirt unbuttoned and his leg bouncing restlessly.  

 

Why was he showing her this photo? As she examined it closely, she suddenly heard a chuckle.  

 

“Is he your type?”  

 

“…What?”  

 

“Good. That’s a relief.”  

 

As she stared at him, bewildered, Chi-gyeom offered an explanation.  

 

“His name is Seo Han-seong. Thirty-two years old.”  

 

“This… This man?”  

 

“He’s the only son of the mayor of Gocheon City. A prosecutor.”  

 

Chi-gyeom made a playful motion of swinging a sword in the air.  

 

“Not that kind of prosecutor. The brainy type.”  

 

“……”  

 

“He spent his whole life buried in books, so much so that even at his age, he’s still a virgin. Impressive, huh?”  

 

“……”  

 

Why was she, on her way back from scattering her mother’s ashes, hearing about some complete stranger’s sex life? Seul-ah could do nothing but blink in incomprehension.  

 

“And he’s your future husband.”