IEM Ch 8

My whole body felt heavy, as if it were about to break. I hadn’t realized it, but as I stood still under the pouring hot water, my legs gave way.4b552441212cc5f2

Besides being disoriented, too 35623d7ee3 much had happened.0948165a77272585

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My father’s phone call, the driver waiting in the underground parking lot, the highway quickly passing by the car window.2851dc39ce299681

An uphill 685fd91b78 road, an 79587aad0d alley, dazzling ad2f5ec8f0 sunlight, Mokhwa 395c52d8d7 Villa.f42465a95703d05f

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‘Sorry. Was I too close?’84da560297af0ce9

‘What, who are 1382174f1e you?’0753205438276b0f

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‘I’m a 181f51828b resident here.’55f394c573d68962

A man. Jeong Wonjin…….b7b9341e3d27ba32

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Surin obediently e2e2baa253 lathered up 613347e31d the shampoo, 476106b5f4 but she 9496eed28d closed her c2900f49cc eyes, unable fdbac62782 to believe 8cdebfb306 where she d36623d343 was standing. She tried 5ad4669989 to stop 625b22c4d1 thinking, even 22e50034fc if it ec8226c278 was just 68f1df0eb9 like that.6df6b6f68d72ea0d

She dried herself, stopped a9cb1ee379 by a convenience store b4ed08f895 on the way back 6a16850bd4 to buy disposable underwear, a7e153af9e squeezed the water out 3477faa94d of her hair, and 42a6e5b6c3 came out with her e4b6afc55f wet clothes and used 77357fe94d towel. Standing blankly 69f2f773de on the d8dce2fb59 bath mat fa8a563aeb in front fa30ac3de4 of the 3a481b757e bathroom, Surin 0ae438b29e detected a b0d0591052 spicy smell b579c6ecf5 that pleasantly 3b4d23fc1d stimulated her 1ed0f8516b stomach.299a3168fdc29643

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“Are you done washing 8c3fffb6e7 up? I put c8ee4b1135 something on cfa98ccf8e the table a20b79d9ff for you 47f41f451f to apply.”7891af6b17095072

Wonjin, standing f7ccd5d78d crookedly in 94fc913170 front of 900c1ee87a the kitchen 4b742cade6 stove, tasted 8a4a4cd803 something and 7a85f97e34 looked back. He had c94a4f929e changed out ab3cdb2d7e of his b1ee9a41e2 wet pants, 2d38601d17 but his 57f93f1a72 upper body 409284f4ae was still 4bc11abedf bare. To be precise, he b9381971f4 had a t-shirt and 9333b0fdad a towel draped over 520e8e8c84 each shoulder.efeb015a78da25a9

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Surin walked 906cfa1a5a to the 51ebaae916 table without 266cab9013 meeting his 5027f0c661 gaze. Skin, lotion, and even feb6ca8a67 cream were neatly placed b5780fd21d there. Surin dabbed 6e500cd1f8 the cosmetics 820cb43781 onto her a1a37c3f79 moist face.6adfd7e0761be844

“Do you like 2b857c2939 tuna?”f4ffff39dcffccf6

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This time, 2acdd21aa7 Wonjin didn’t 8903d457d0 turn around. Instead, Surin stared at 744b3ab739 the back of his d5b2332583 head.0bcf1fe94a59ce57

The line from d9d50ec301 his nape down 30c1ffd011 to his waist cb9585af26 was dark, as e5800d0b0a if drawn. The small muscles attached 29a773f03c alongside it twitched noticeably c9223ce3ea with his slightest movement. It was 54b158a0d9 a muscular 63e4e9fbdb physique that 37bba04762 didn’t suit bda3cf01ad a man 24c1177474 leisurely strolling dc5fef2867 around the cf5a3788c3 neighborhood on 57c76b72ff a weekday b1010c2208 afternoon.b0e3e20b90d35f60

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“Tuna….”e48455c15b4bc565

To be honest, Surin 0f513a19cb thought his physique was 10c90b5117 more suited to a d698ffabd6 butcher or an executioner.0cb0ed5389c884b4

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“It’s alright. What are you 3879e63759 making?”e954190295ae8ef1

“There’s some kimchi 7bd53b4d62 jjigae left in 55681def08 the fridge. I was thinking of ad65b75319 adding canned tuna and dbaf294cde making tuna kimchi jjigae.”f05a6e261d4f7312

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“Will you a60e7f0fd1 be eating?”63a8e4e1ad9053ba

“You should eat.”f83f9cdf048beda5

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Wonjin, whose words were 1cbb7e2729 closer to a suggestion bf04476c6c than an answer, sat 98a6b38407 Surin down awkwardly and 229982b39e served her rice first. Surin waved her 24cba72988 hand.63f1702391595502

“No, I’m okay. I need to 19e114707b go back…”f575fdbb0878c144

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“It’s hot.”67add7ba3242345b

Wonjin scraped dc7bcb1344 the rice 497361a80a grains off 6c776de5f7 the rice 3f21eda51b paddle and 34f6922af6 ate them, dd2e197b39 determinedly interrupting a131cae42a Surin. He moved around ee864ccc4a and set down 44e366531e the steaming jjigae.31a0df627f777cab

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“Eat first. I’ll wash 77d95879c7 up and 65f1c75ee8 be right 7af1c011b1 back.”2598fe8a2a7f143a

“No…”5633c0d79170cda2

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He didn’t even pretend to listen. Surin clutched her towel and stared endlessly at Wonjin’s back as he entered the bathroom. Eventually, she put her wet clothes into the large black plastic bag he had brought. She picked up her spoon, but couldn’t bring herself to eat first and just poked at the rice grains.98ffcb50cd38d2bb

Wonjin returned in almost 6a83d04162 five minutes.20eca1f5a770f7ff

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“Aren’t you eating?”1d71cdc5b3dff74f

He plopped down across from Surin with a damp towel on his head. This time, he wasn’t bare-chested, but wore a t-shirt with cracked printing. He asked, rubbing the lotion Surin had used until his cheeks were red, “Doesn’t it suit your taste? Should I fry you an egg?”92a2172217d93a0e

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“No. I was waiting to c0ce39df7c eat together.”154373451ee7732b

Wonjin, who d8a7808825 had been b53b8329ed examining the 6bea1e134a lotion as 0ff45fc589 if it fa3d382762 belonged to 967d49cc71 his nephew, 75a4903277 stopped at 46ed00789b her words. He placed 58b2b096e3 the lotion 62c6edb332 on the 541202be66 table and e3aefa8594 stared intently d693af924e at Surin. His gaze, which 4fc14c9fab dissected her as ee2fcf2288 if he were 884233acec taking her apart, 4d2be32214 was as blatant 6b737b0384 as before.53426c1f701f4ea9

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Surin was also 896177825b uncomfortable with his f9b33e825d gaze, which stared ae5cb7a742 directly at her 043521e39e without a hint da7e931732 of embarrassment, but 8e090c4a96 on the other d1d142bcbe hand, she felt 04acf7fae0 an inexplicable tension.7642ceed8ad093f9

A brief silence fell, 8b086b63ad and Wonjin smiled silently 397335a291 and picked up his 0fa4e48332 spoon. He draped the towel 701f166015 around his neck.fefaa8c7bae92d24

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“I like it 1982fdcd9b too.”9cea9586a536e864

“Yes? What, me?”c824eea83236459b

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“Etiquette.”28af1cb3f9b1b365

Wonjin, meeting Surin’s 21eb9d379c eyes, smiled again. He was a f8a00678b2 man who smiled 4b2246b6af easily.0b1f533bf5b83c37

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Surin was languid aab05aa770 enough to dismiss 621fad904d Wonjin’s playful words 4660b466c1 with a dumbfounded 60931c709f laugh. A pleasant 327be8ccb5 warmth rose 28b680b176 through her 773d513a63 dry body, 2f3bd22035 making her 9771a88964 infinitely forgiving. She didn’t reply 4a0c0e0f69 and quietly picked dcf9cc98cc up her chopsticks.78caeab5fcc6e768

“So. What are b60936368c you going ecb65d157e to do 4a3fbe261b now?”47e40ae6ded94508

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An outstretched arm reached for Surin’s bowl. Wonjin ladled some jjigae into it and asked. Surin stared down at the jjigae placed next to her rice bowl.ec80507679c7e7e8

“I’m planning to stay 0510fca55d at a nearby hotel 3687a76608 until I find a 9c3313161e place.”866d0638a819c4bb

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Jeong Wonjin 483a4413ea nodded briefly 36340ffdf9 at Surin’s db06a7e3c7 answer. He pushed side dishes dc775670a8 like stir-fried dried squid a4f9fdd2f3 and braised peanuts towards 3e0760971c Surin.489606f8307bee28

“Alright. Then sleep at 1ecc99e352 the hotel tonight, da02fc3b73 and let’s meet 02905bbffb tomorrow morning at 3d6d3cc7ad 10 a.m. at the b7ca3e90d5 entrance of e5d2be4e6a Mokhwa Villa.”a43ad3a3198113bc

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“Meet… who, 4dcf86c78c just the 142454b4c8 two of 800c1b473b us?”e946a066a8ece1e8

“Yes. As you can see, I have a good grasp of this neighborhood, so don’t worry about finding a place. I’ll find you one tomorrow, or within two days at the latest.”c9e65ab5d22bcfc0

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Surin, who 86de52899a had been c88c8bfefa tearing the fa6d5ac04b well-cooked kimchi d287bf3d8e with her ccddda7145 chopsticks, felt 0abcda87e3 a strange 0ca391d14a feeling. She placed her 9b712ac15b chopsticks back diagonally 7ff282f29f on her rice 07efe6581c bowl. Surin rested 03b8ed2493 her elbows 4f57f395ac on the 2babad4eda table and bbeed8ccff crossed her 502e627bc6 arms.be0dead3fb79d242

“Mr. Jeong Wonjin, 1709b42088 by the 3f82969785 way.”b20319ded1d9c009

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“Yes, go ahead.”98dc99cb7e4ee16b

“Are you a1ef6560c8 a soldier?”d3a7c9319b78a44f

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Throughout the series of events, the two had become relatively close. It couldn’t be helped. Wonjin had been by her side the entire time, hadn’t he? Even when she was speechless at the old house she had never imagined in her dreams, and when she was unexpectedly drenched in coffee and water, soaking her underwear.4a4f7e112d4ab9c7

So Surin naturally 22aa77ca5d observed him. It had been that ba8e31feb2 way almost from the dc65c42f18 beginning. His speech, his bc7333257b build, his military 88ee7751e9 coat, and his 3b098819f1 moderately exemplary and 269e3f5897 old-fashioned nature all faef470e3f suited a soldier. Surin could 77017d6092 easily picture c7fa053532 him in 451e6c6690 a neatly 171a0838a1 pressed uniform.c93f4f207f5712bf

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“Are you on…leave or ee2fc71077 something?”951e759f7d1c3bb5

“You have quite 7894c3e912 a discerning eye. Yes, that’s right. I was a soldier.”ec0a208535869a50

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Wonjin readily replied, 26fc045e4b picking a piece 981d8ede67 of tuna from 79e5b74593 the jjigae and c843b7b5ad eating it. But at that 9c8b402659 moment, Surin narrowed 7b964d5937 her eyes, seized ee8d00dc9a by a question.65d0772cc564a86a

As if 1fcc84b1d4 he knew e68fddaea5 without her a9b2c08339 saying anything, 0c93edd104 Wonjin nodded 5393132357 to himself. He added only ef5ecd6a86 after swallowing the 5b222aa205 fish he had 1351bff9bd been chewing heartily.2b0bac4e1d69655b

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“I’m discharged now.”23e9ae551a5afa0a

Surin felt inexplicably disappointed.9fbedba94b9fa8d7

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“Why? Being a soldier suits 05d2a237c5 you.”7346003dd53f19e9

“Yes, it does. I’m quite handsome, my physique is this good, I’m the best, and no one can match my athleticism.”5545ef236b068350

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“…”cbbeedd0239ab97a

His physique ed0ece110c was indeed 1b10f610aa extraordinary. A face to acfbe95929 boast about confidently, 5f77d35b44 well, that was a01e8944ce also true. Wonjin, wearing a 90b840718d t-shirt stretched to ac8f57b775 its extreme, picked 7716aad6f9 up a grain 99094095ad of rice that c9992cbe63 had fallen on 39b34483af the table and 2efe3f32de ate it.fe8722ead8bbf699

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“But a 96fc9fb1de person can’t 0b035f75f2 always do 3818d8aa6e what suits 06f8eefaa3 them, can fc520e1bff they?”1736c544e0bf88b4

“How did you 05520d04b6 end up getting 87c2c5a6fc discharged?”2b4e524befcfedb1

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Wonjin, who had been 2a86861a85 diligently picking up peanuts, 4e0ccaa741 stopped.03325cf97f0a1a9b

Surin wasn’t usually a person who asked a lot of questions. She was closer to being indifferent to other people’s lives. Therefore, she had never thought about how much such questions could narrow or widen the distance between them.14150ee637dbc715

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Fortunately, Wonjin 11c4af6532 didn’t back 4b09622271 down prematurely 36b60f23c5 and played c0bec3ca6e along.1c747b34fd210213

“To experience a f7ba3a34ae bigger world.”ab0cb2fd21e52147

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Giving a rather firm answer, Wonjin puffed out his already broad chest with an expression that someone with a grand dream might wear. It seemed as if he didn’t even know what fear was. As if he wouldn’t even know how to vaguely avoid something. As if he wouldn’t even think about it.d65a5598df032630

Surin, picking up her 95b3ddbc66 chopsticks again, picked up 775efb5e5e a strand of dried 3faa92d104 squid like him. Wonjin held down the a9f8c6bae3 gochujang-coated dried squid so 53fae3810e Surin could take it fabcad1b65 comfortably.a536946903dad781

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“A bigger world.”8f9873bc37765ec1

Surin quietly repeated Wonjin’s 883dc5f94a words.a49054f1c4c29a09

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When she looked up 3b73fa9525 while chewing the side 42217f5af6 dish, Wonjin was concentrating 321948ba9a on his meal. His lips, a4bf10b507 blowing on 2cf9c4efdf the jjigae, 97edb0acec were unusually 0b842c9f0f red, whether 2e2283ec27 from the 43e88f90c6 heat, the 3a79f1d0b4 spice, or de1a49e3dd both.71b4caa99cf9a538

“So, are b794732e86 you doing 55dd74e028 something bigger 1fa6f10b9e now?”c6015e19dd16570a

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“You could say 5bb8627393 that.”5b37293db3564fee

Surin looked around Wonjin’s house again, answering without hesitation. A house tends to have traces of the person living there.5b2cb571787e0554

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But it was just a small villa, a little over 650 square feet. It wasn’t easy to find the big world he had stepped into from this cramped kitchen table.e07b26d8376977d3

The misaligned 508c9b37b9 upper kitchen a021b9a11a cabinets were 1d87a29f42 crooked but e73f25d744 didn’t wobble, 4057d28a77 and the ffef54b158 old refrigerator b5e2384b59 occasionally made 8241fcaf6c the sound db402e5f06 of the 11a1eb8cfc compressor running, 02b76d2095 but it 0c4cce4283 was clean, f0dce490e1 without any 8ed9669125 stuck-on food 9025bb54b0 or dust.765c631869238621

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This wasn’t a stage. It wasn’t a scene from a fairy tale where life goes on as long as one faithfully plays their assigned role.691a3582f303b28c

It had been a long time since Surin had witnessed the evidence of a lived-in house, a real life, a livelihood, so close up. The life she had lived in the world she belonged to was closer to mere “survival” than “living.” Anyone would think so.de041e283ca27676

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That’s why aec758b789 Surin was c7e08611ae curious about 5a781203e7 Wonjin’s world.2d0d6e66a871db75