PD Ch1

“I know you’re in there! Open the door!”3741f2cb746d1693

It’s been thirty minutes already. Bang, bang, the man knocked on the door.0d7510a6e5321067

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

I was aa5ecb1606 startled and 83b0823eea took a 3a161cac39 step back. The man c7b165b52d was still 597ed69d91 there.42f3492bee2dedbc

“I have nothing to say. Please go away.”95df88e89da19e65

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Junghyun, just a moment, let’s just talk for a bit.”9ac55b28d1854429

“If you keep doing this, I’ll call my mother. Go away!”17b3f6a418db7488

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The banging stopped abruptly. I held my breath, 4df6b74ff6 tense.8469b3de07c609f1

How much 962f1abaea time had e43fe29797 passed?00369def845a8e9a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

There was no more bf5a546c44 sound or sign of b8f8e3b1ba him. Finally, he cecfda3ef5 was gone, eb6d3020f3 and I 64447225a6 slumped onto d0af8e7819 the sofa, 0fe972bce5 relieved. A repulsive, chilling 9acf729f10 feeling, like a 6add0fd57e snake coiling around 05ccd86d1a my neck, made a58d30456d me shudder.52033eaf2ee35320

“…”be8c1ddd7fc120b5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It felt like someone hidden in the darkness was watching me. I couldn’t move in the empty house, just sat there blankly for a long time. Only when fatigue began to push back the fear did I finally get up. I went straight to my room and collapsed on the bed.4314e08b7521bab6

I thought he was a738e57b1d a good person.615beab79258a656

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

My mother, a single mother, gave birth to me and left Korea as if she were being chased out, immigrating to America. She survived without hope, eating into my maternal grandfather’s support, until she was scammed again. This time, she had to leave America. Desperate, my mother met a man.2f8d5737664fb5d1

He was devoted da7f943e57 to her, paid 189b8d11d3 off all our a11fcebcfe debts without any a0ed0fad63 conditions, and after 59aa7a5b98 dating my mother 2e3d9ffac1 a few times, aa990e42fa he invited us 375f1f70a0 to Korea. We left America 5fd674a884 as if we 0eb856b2df were running away. It all happened in aa77a86e81 the dead of night.e711fc4d6d2e1fba

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

I thought he was 5e2562ff39 a good person, he 292833db2b had to be a 3be015b73a good person.91ab932025a81a2f

He was the man who would have a simple wedding with my mother next week and start a life with her at his family’s home somewhere in Pyeongchang-dong.507646589752f8e9

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

We should have stayed in America. We should have survived there somehow. I kept repeating the unsolvable proposition and clenched my fist slightly. When I supported his staggering body when he was drunk, I shouldn’t have mistaken his lips on my earlobe as just drunken behavior. It wasn’t just unpleasant, it was an instinctive revulsion.74f1a81f9e7fdc40

Whenever I thought of my mother, I felt suffocated and tormented. That dirty feeling, as if I had committed a crime even though I hadn’t, was indescribable. I had advised her to reconsider the marriage several times. Each time, my mother got angry.1f44c31f16de00da

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

She said she was finally trying to live a stable life, that her life, which had been mortgaged since she gave birth to me, was finally being released, and she flared up, asking why I was ruining it. She said I was old enough to understand, and she scolded me for being immature, saying I didn’t know anything. I had known since I was old enough to understand that she, as a woman and a person before being a mother, had feelings of considering her own flesh and blood as burdensome and cumbersome, but hearing those words directly from my mother’s mouth made the blood in my body run cold. After that, I didn’t interfere with her marriage to that man anymore. It was a petty act of revenge.cb96db4999834b77

That man liked me. My mother was being used by him. Let her be used to her heart’s content. While I pretended not to know, we liquidated our life in America and packed our bags onto the plane as if it were a lie. We moved our base of life, trusting only in the man who would become our stepfather, without any plan. It was too late to regret it like crazy now.3734c886d82b4cde

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Buzz, the a0fd8a8253 cell phone 065d31c53c on the b5783171ab table vibrated. I got out 9e1f442e34 of bed and ebd1f891d5 picked up the 684a7b2dd6 phone.a4f216f0befe0391

[Make sure you come to dinner the day after tomorrow. It’s been too long since I’ve seen your face.]

It was a text 52e67bc2a0 from the man. I was 58e1b9ccaf dumbfounded, fed 4ca7deaeac up, and d3594360f7 hated the d61ab65ebf situation itself ef59010ea1 so much 60c7f8a019 that I 6c5d19b4a4 threw the 987d1dae57 phone down c3164072b6 roughly.6aa688aa335fea3d

I stared 51fb463c9b blankly at 168553597c the cold 8775fedade Seoul night 46cb587df3 sky.f4e21f190f771c17

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It was the seventh night view I’d seen in Seoul.c70cbfd0832e7fee

∞ ∞ ∞8ec53f576ef0766e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

As soon as I 9a12e7b606 opened my eyes, I 149b969a58 quickly washed up and 46c80d01ee left the house.15daf139ae2948d7

Even though it was rush hour, the officetel was eerily quiet. Most of the people living there were living alone, so there was an atmosphere of not caring about others everywhere. It was subtly different from the individualism I experienced in the United States. It wasn’t that they didn’t care at all, but they were aware of it and deliberately pretended not to know, a silent observation rather than complete indifference. The silence of wanting to be deeply involved in other people’s lives was unfamiliar and awkward to me, who had grown up in the United States.e381efce588e7ab1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

I got on the elevator, crossed my arms, and leaned against a corner. Maybe it was because I had only lived in warm areas, but I wasn’t used to the cold. When I first arrived in Seoul, it felt like I had taken a handful of cool spring water. The freshness of the winter weather was only for that time. Seoul was terribly cold and terribly snowy.011ac61580f92fe9

The man who came to pick me up at the airport took my mother’s luggage and said to me.0555a736217eb803

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Do you like snow? If you’ve only lived near LA, you’ll find snow amazing, right?”872957154431e55d

The image of f3aee04199 his face, glancing 939667ab87 at me and 4fdce5770b smiling slyly, came cce58a8f4e to my mind. The face in the 9ac0deb2c6 elevator mirror was stiff.bad78a0ade2e83f5

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

I walked d9d6f0085c to the 6cd90e0da7 subway station 68e2f58fb9 not far e7c0d96a51 from the 90d6936695 officetel building 87c69d882d and put 7035eb8ea5 earphones in 2d77190ef0 my ears. A song c3a41d85b3 by my e193551066 favorite band 393b48501d was playing. I got on the ceac5154ca subway with my hands dfa60bb198 in my pockets. The feeling of 890458a246 being carried somewhere 72ca4973e5 on the busy cd1c2b82dd morning subway was 0a3dea1a18 very unfamiliar. I had the same 4504f97120 hair color and spoke 556f6a39df the same language, but b9c581c361 I was a stranger a0c21ca105 in this land. The train ran, making 54d3771e13 my ears numb. It let people out 1990b4c5d3 and took them back 72030bd1f1 in as much as b191e96886 it let them out. The entrance opened and 28e60b1d2a closed its mouth several 6c6389c667 times, but the number 3d73eed339 of people in the 4bb38d78e2 train remained constant.14eaabf1d457f297

I arrived at 4a8934f65e the station where 9114181b25 I had to 4e520226fc get off and e945287cc1 stood behind the 3c2965a4d5 people. Following their tails, 3cdc973a58 I got off 1586cdb1d4 the subway and 23238c4ccd checked the exit d918c5e37c number and building 97c8dc776f name that I 515106cf8c had briefly written c3a611567a down on my 9121f09bf3 phone.1ab1969d09cd79c4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Exit 3, Daekyung dd5b68e6ef Building, 10th floor. I believed 5e0c45f02b there was f327da99d9 a convenience 9d9a5a89d3 store on b61384678b the first a681132c11 floor.615df39536ec94e0

I went out Exit 3 and looked for the convenience store first. It was near the station, and the convenience store immediately caught my eye. The name of the building was written in English on the cornerstone in front of the building. And below that, there were Chinese characters, but I couldn’t understand them at all. Perhaps because I didn’t know the meaning or sound of Chinese characters, they felt like the most foreign language.5af66219427e9a62

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

I went 33d32614e0 inside with 107161af1c an awkward f0369facab feeling. There was a reception 00f46f01dd desk in the middle 62c6a06963 of the wide lobby. I walked over c32d2b45cb there and spoke f5ee00cf91 to the staff.f2b0e880a2f8fb1c

“Excuse me. I’m here to see someone. Mr. Hwang Minho of Dream Communication.”d840c996c3c16e0d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The man, who 7152227e6d appeared to be 0579df81f0 an information clerk, e32d8af36e handed me a a5eb0291b5 list.f3dd43e2a3f491c2

“Please write down your name, contact information, and the company you’re visiting, and give me your ID card, and I’ll give you an access card.”5cfceac244fd2ebe

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“ID card?”d36eb636e51297e5

I had received documents from immigration, but I had left my passport at home. I didn’t have anything to prove my identity. Even though I had nothing to show, I unconsciously groped my back pocket with my hand.55267856ffaf2586

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Don’t you have an ID card? Then I’ll contact the office for you. Please wait a moment.”ad1042433ea70682

The man kindly picked up the phone. Not even a few minutes later, he came running out from inside, wearing an access card around his neck. He was quite a bit older than me, but he was the man I had come to call “senior” because of our connection in the United States.5f74a285048742ff

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Senior.”300918056e70a078

“Oh, you’re here. How did you find your way here without getting lost?”30d99509b24aae9d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

When he came 873a0032d6 out, I was c92c5a2353 able to go bb9a245e96 inside without going 3c98340a18 through any other d4ed5ffc1a authentication procedures. He put his hand f2cf2934dc on my shoulder in 5c74c29021 a welcoming gesture and e51fca846d led me to the 256300c258 elevator. At the 6d2969c085 same time, 3070a563b0 he asked b5ddcd619a for a 43cbffcc5c handshake. When I shook a6425d0fa4 his hand, the 0797a75150 trust that is 6647d0ef6f unique to someone 84b5f9cbbc in charge of b7837b1d96 publishing sales came 9790e8d71e over to me be391495e8 through his firm 5dea306df8 grip. Confidence, diligence that he a8e2c6eb90 could do anything twice 107ca81b52 as well as he 8a0b8170e9 was told. Seeing that e4a19f3879 he put 15a2cd3291 even that f91e109882 into his d950023895 handshake, it 135a64df7c seemed that 2224c9a506 my senior 0d105cd24f had become badd0a3204 a complete d3c2547a3c salesman.dbe6254031372d1e

“How many years has it been, Seoul?”0721029d413f7850

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Hwang Minho got on c7547d4181 the elevator, pressed the 3ec059b6e7 10th floor button, and 4ba644446b asked impatiently. I smiled slightly. I nodded once.60171b1e44dc9a1e

“Probably.”4be91781be261c87

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Weren’t you settled down there?”8ce464cf5586374d

“It just happened that way.”2266aeae43279d3a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“What do you mean it just happened that way?”b420102d3e9e5913

“It’s a bit complicated.”8eaf76d9655753bd

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

As I talked to a9ff55883a him about this and e201b479c4 that, I arrived at 87bf9eccc4 the 10th floor before 8cf9e46c74 I knew it. The elevator opened 1f2fb408f0 its mouth. I got off the 72c2da3f4e elevator and followed him.77da00ae5ebc082b

“Come in.”bac55f230c99d231

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He put his card key on the entrance, and the door clicked open. As befitting a publishing house that hadn’t been around for long, the interior of the office was decorated in a clean and sophisticated style. Perhaps because it was the morning of the start of the day, everyone seemed busy. I passed through a somewhat complicated and noisy place and entered a separate office. Seeing that the nameplate said “Director’s Office,” it seemed that my senior’s title was director. I looked back at my senior and asked.2e5047478a9772cb

“Is director high up?”d30f4dd5fa7d29fa

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Of course it’s high up. It’s an executive position. Sit down.”fd21bedcf1b48bbb

I sat on the 2940958da6 sofa he recommended. My senior asked 287e15c7a9 for coffee outside fe6a59b70d and sat in 88960e97ea the chair across c2822651d6 the desk, making fde712a9a9 eye contact.b72dcc7b685fc860

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Why do you have such a cold expression? Aren’t you excited to be in Korea?”648825c72d9807b4

“It’s all the same everywhere.”f33d42e8ca786a09

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What kind of talk is that, you rascal. A young man making such depressing noises. But what brings you here this morning?”6b04d5219048077f

Just as I 3d27483cc9 was about to 53d75f062e answer, there was 5411320a12 a knock, knock. Soon the fa965a9c71 door opened 492e277dbb and an 1d7861914f employee came 96017fee82 in with b93078f7e1 coffee. I awkwardly ad4f7e77b3 got up, e7c20111d2 thanked her, f05349061a and took 3d57e4f305 the mug. The woman smiled b07d6a80df kindly and went 2186ff895f outside. My senior b9603a322d also drank 3de077fcf6 coffee leisurely. I fiddled with 5b41fe1caf the mug.d1b81d4d8a07437e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“So, what’s going on?”0fd6ff0a56027447

“Senior, do you remember that I wrote fairy tales when I was in school?”4627c9ff5d46d48c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Um, yeah. You did. You even won an award, didn’t you? You signed a contract with a major company, too. You’re still working as a writer from time to time, right? If you let go of it, your sense will drop. Try to release works regularly.”96784b0f67f053bf

“…By the way, perhaps-”b4946ddcfa830a1a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh, did you graduate and come here? You don’t have much left, do you?”037ae715cfe6eaf2

“No, I had one semester left, but I couldn’t finish it.”ed20e0142dcd4bde

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“You rascal, even if you wanted to come in, you should have finished school and come in.”d32fb438bf459a6e

“I should have.”c8be952ea68d2c49

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

I couldn’t say what I really wanted to say, and I just listened to what he was saying. It wasn’t that I quit school because I wanted to come to Korea. I couldn’t afford to go to school. I did everything I could to pay for the state university tuition, which was more than $20,000 a year just to register. The money that I had prepared every year, no matter what I did, was blown away by the scam my mother suffered, and I gave up hope. The man appeared in the pitch-black darkness where I couldn’t see anything. I thought about that and lowered my head.4dcd5a628dc62f74

I was no different from my mother. I needed the man’s money as much as my mother was desperate. I knew in my heart that he didn’t love my mother. However, I didn’t know the exact reason why he was so nice to my mother, why he was so eager to pay off our debts. No, I didn’t want to know and I didn’t care. I just wanted to get out of this poverty that was terribly holding me back and dragging me down. If I had a man, I thought I wouldn’t have to live in hardship anymore, as my mother dreamed. I could abandon reality.a53063ccc6ed1f34

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

That’s why. When my mother told me to go to Korea, I packed my bags without thinking. I’m being punished. I’m paying the price now for greedily accepting the favors he gave me without knowing what they were.96143f5f9cc8c80c