SL 1

It was the true beginning of summer.
The roads shimmered with heat haze, the forest was lush with vibrant green, and bright red watermelons filled the fruit stands. It was the season when people worn out from daily life began to plan cool, refreshing vacations.

College student Naeun was walking along a field path with a face full of discontent.
“This is seriously too much.”
She dragged her suitcase with a thump, grumbling nonstop. And with good reason—after three grueling attempts at the college entrance exam, she had finally been accepted into university. This was her first real summer after enduring that bitter struggle… and her parents had pushed her off to the countryside.

The reason? To take care of her grandmother who lived in a rural village.
Her aunt, who had been looking after the grandmother, was headed to the U.S. to visit her son for two months. All the other cousins were busy with work, so unfortunately, the only one with free time was the youngest—Naeun.

“If not you, what will Grandma do? What if she wanders off and gets lost or something happens to her?”
With her father’s plea, which was more like a threat, Naeun had no choice but to pack her bags.
“I wanted to go on a trip too…”
Even if her head could understand, her heart couldn’t fully accept it. Naeun kept sighing with regret.

Originally, Naeun had planned to go on an overseas trip with her high school friends during the break.
Her friends were probably buzzing with excitement right now, chatting away as they prepared for the trip.

“Who’s that? Did we ever have such a pretty girl in this village?”
The local women, working in the fields, chattered while watching the unusually fair-skinned girl pass by—though Naeun didn’t notice.

“Ah, must be her. The granddaughter of Mrs. Myung. Didn’t they say her daughter went to America and the granddaughter came in her place?”
“Oh my, that’s Naeun? When did she grow up so much? Wasn’t she just a little girl?”
“We always think we’re the only ones aging, never realizing how fast the kids grow.”
“Beom will be thrilled.”
“She’s already been talking about her for days. I should bring some snacks and visit later. Isn’t she admirable, coming all the way here to care for her grandma?”
“Exactly.”

The arrival of someone new in a quiet countryside village is always a welcome event—it stirs up new air, new sounds.
And lately, two newcomers had appeared in this mountain village.
It was only natural that the villagers’ main topic of conversation had shifted to these outsiders.

Unaware of any of that, Naeun let out a deep sigh as she stood in front of her grandmother’s house.
She had visited often when she was little, but after middle school, she had stopped coming altogether.
Going through puberty, Naeun had realized that spending time with friends was more fun than visiting her grandmother.

The small, cozy house hadn’t changed at all.
Naeun’s grandmother, who used to be particularly tidy before the symptoms of dementia appeared, had once swept and scrubbed the house daily. Since it was the first home she and her husband had bought together, perhaps the house itself remembered that care.

Unlike herself, who had grown up into an adult, the house stood still in the past. Standing before it now gave Naeun a strange feeling.
When she stepped through the gate, she saw her grandmother sitting neatly dressed on the wooden floor of the main room.

“Grandma, I’m here.”
The words came out naturally, as if they had spoken just yesterday.

“Who are you?”
But her grandmother didn’t recognize her.
Though her aunt had warned her in advance, Naeun still felt a pang of emotion.

Naeun was especially cherished—being the only daughter in a family where daughters were rare and with a significant age gap from her older siblings. Her grandmother had doted on her, never letting her lift a finger, even while making her brothers do the tough chores.
Naeun used to sit on her grandmother’s lap, munching on sweet watermelon, teasing her sweaty brothers.

But now, that same grandmother didn’t recognize her.
Maybe she should’ve visited more often, even if it was inconvenient.
A lump formed in her throat.
She regretted brushing off the times her grandmother had said she missed her.

“You really don’t remember me, Grandma?”
Naeun crouched down in front of her grandmother and placed her suitcase aside.
Her grandmother’s dark eyes filled with Naeun’s reflection—but there was a hollowness in them.
It struck Naeun just how frightening dementia really was.

“I don’t know you. Who are you, young lady?”
“It’s me, Naeun. Your granddaughter, Naeun.”
Just moments ago, Naeun had been full of complaints—but now tears welled up in her eyes.
She took her grandmother’s hand and guided it to her own cheek, hoping it would jog her memory.
But her grandmother just sat there, vacant.

Naeun threw her arms around her grandmother.

“I’m sorry, Grandma… I’ve been living like I forgot you. And now… you’re the one who’s forgotten me.”
A tear slipped from Naeun’s round eyes and soaked into her grandmother’s shoulder.

“Why are you crying?”
“No reason. I’m just really happy to see you.”
Her grandmother unconsciously patted Naeun’s thin back.
Wiping her tears quickly, Naeun pulled back with a smile.

“It’s hot, isn’t it, Grandma? Let’s go inside. I’ll unpack with you. I brought so many cute clothes—I’ll show you!”
She took off her grandmother’s shoes and helped her inside. Just as she turned back to fetch her suitcase, someone suddenly flung the gate open.

“Naeun!”
Without warning, the visitor wrapped her in a tight hug, voice trembling with emotion.

“I’m so glad you came. You have no idea how much I missed you. You wicked girl! Why didn’t you tell me you changed your number?”

“…Sorry, who are you?”
Naeun asked, bewildered.
The girl stepped back, crossing her arms in mock offense.
She had soft brown hair and looked about Naeun’s age.
There was something warm and down-to-earth about her innocent face and the faint scent of fresh grass that clung to her.

“It’s me—Beom! Yoon Beom! Don’t you remember me?”

“Oh…”

Hearing the name, a faint memory stirred. She was a girl Naeun used to play with often in the neighborhood during her childhood, when she frequently visited her grandmother. It wasn’t just because Beom was the only girl her age in the area—Naeun and Beom had genuinely clicked as friends. Every time vacation ended, they’d cry and promise to write letters, linking pinkies in a solemn vow.

They had kept in touch now and then, but at some point, the contact had stopped completely, and even the memory of her had faded from Naeun’s mind.

“Oh, I remember now. I remember you. Beom.”

“That’s right, it’s me! You rascal.”

“You’re still the same. Still sweet.”

“And you’re still just as pretty. Is this your luggage? Let me help you with it.”

Beom cheerfully hoisted Naeun’s suitcase without waiting for an answer.

“No, it’s okay.”

“No way. I’m strong, you know. Typical Seoul girl—still all high and mighty.”

Naeun giggled at Beom’s playful teasing. The two friends lugged the suitcase inside together, wiped down the wheels, and opened it up. Grandma sat blankly, watching them.

“Oh my. Do you really wear things like this? How embarrassing.”

Beom was shocked by Naeun’s short clothes. In Seoul, everyone dressed like that. Naeun laughed at her friend’s fresh reaction.

“Do you want to try something on? I think it’d suit you.”

“No thanks. If I got caught wearing something like that, my dad would probably tear all my hair out.”

Despite her words, Beom kept fiddling with the clothes, clearly tempted. Then, as if plotting something, she whispered softly:

“How about I sneak one on when my dad goes into town? Can I come visit again?”

“Of course. You can come over anytime.”

Having someone to hang out with would be much less boring than being alone. As they chatted, the unpacking—initially such a chore—was soon nearly done. While Naeun was placing her cap on her grandmother’s head, Beom said:

“The neighborhood folks said they’d help with food prep and anything big, so you just relax while you’re here.”

“Why?”

“…Huh?”

“Why are they helping?”

Used to the individualism of the city, Naeun couldn’t immediately understand the generous help being offered. Caught off guard by Naeun’s serious tone, Beom replied matter-of-factly:

“Because we’re neighbors. Isn’t that what’s great about living near each other? You must’ve forgotten, but this isn’t Seoul. Here, there are tons of people ready to help the moment you reach out.”

Only then did she understand her mother’s casual words: “It won’t be that hard.” Remembering the warm-hearted spirit of the countryside brought an unexpected sense of comfort. Truthfully, she’d felt overwhelmed at the thought of caring for her grandmother alone.

Now that she thought about it, the neighbors had always been more like family. When young Naeun walked through the rice paddies, every adult would pat her on the head as if she were their own. When she cried, someone would always scoop her up in a hug to soothe her. If they had something sweet, they’d save it in their pockets to press into her tiny hands later. The affectionate nickname “our little one” now resurfaced in her memory.

Yes. This place had always been like that.

“Thank you,” she said, her nose prickling unexpectedly.

“Thank me for what? This is just normal. Oh, and by the way, my mom’s going to help watch your grandma tonight, so let’s go out together. I’ll show you around the neighborhood. On the weekend, we can go into town. Did you know? There’s a burger joint in town now!”

Looking at Beom’s innocent smile, Naeun thought maybe coming down to the countryside wouldn’t be so bad after all. The stress from her intense, flashy, but somehow unfulfilling city life was already starting to ease.

“Grandma, is it okay if I take Naeun out for a bit?”

“Who are you?”

“Oh, come on, Grandma. You forgot again? I told you—it’s me, Beom. Yoon Beom! The village chief’s daughter.”

 

* * *

 

“That’s Mr. Rice Cake Shop’s house. It’s a secret, but if you sneak over when his wife’s not around, he’ll give you some rice cakes. You have no idea how delicious freshly made garaetteok is.”

It was a small village, but it had everything one might need. Following Beom’s explanations, Naeun walked around the neighborhood. They passed by the rice cake shop, the grocery store, the hardware store, and even an old photo studio that only opened twice a week. As they strolled, Naeun’s eyes sparkled.

“I know the rice cake shop guy too.”

“Oh yeah?”

“He used to give me a lot of rice cakes too.”

It was a beautiful scene she hadn’t really appreciated earlier in the day when she’d been too busy complaining. Her heart lifted with excitement. It felt just like being on vacation.

The last place they arrived at was a villa that belonged to a stranger. But unlike all the modest buildings they’d seen so far, this one was luxurious enough to make anyone’s jaw drop.

“Wow, what is this place? This house is amazing.”

Naeun stood in awe, staring up at it. Tucked away in the farthest corner of the village, it was only now that she noticed its overwhelming presence.

“I don’t remember anything like this being here before.”

Back when she was young, this had just been an empty lot. It was strange and fascinating that it had transformed like this. And somehow, it felt a little out of place—just like Naeun herself, not yet fully integrated into the countryside.

“Yeah. It was built not long ago.”

“Who lives here?”

“Weird, right? Lately, a lot of outsiders have been moving into the village. The local ladies are the only ones who are thrilled about it.”

Naeun turned her head, not quite following.

“Some guy’s been living here alone for a few months now. Rumor has it he’s the son of a wealthy family, came here to recover from being really sick. I don’t know much else. I only saw him from a distance, but he’s really tall like a scarecrow and pale—just like you.”

It sounded like a plot straight out of a classic novel. The rich boy who came alone to the countryside to recuperate. Was he really here for recovery? What was wrong with him, and how badly? Naeun found herself oddly curious.

“They say even the village elders get ignored when they go to visit—he won’t even open the door. So rude. I should go show him who’s boss.”

Beom placed her hands on her hips, brimming with indignation. Naeun laughed—she was sure Beom would treat him kindly if they ever actually met.

“Hey! Don’t you have parents?!”

Just then, a man approached, and Naeun’s eyes locked with his. Hands in his pockets, he looked at them with obvious displeasure.

He was tall like a scarecrow, and his face wasn’t just pale—it was ghostly. Just like the rude man Beom had been describing a moment ago.

No way… Naeun was mortified.

Oblivious, Beom continued to chatter cheerfully.

“That rude little bastard—”

“Uh, Beom—”

“What? Am I scaring you?”

“No, it’s just…”

I think the owner of this villa is right behind us. The words were stuck in Naeun’s throat.

Before she could say anything, the man marched up and lightly shoved Beom aside.

“Move.”

“Holy crap! You scared me!”

Beom screamed so loudly it echoed across the village, then leapt into Naeun’s arms, trembling like she’d seen a ghost. Meanwhile, the man didn’t bat an eye and calmly inserted a key into the front gate’s lock.

Naeun felt like she’d regret it if she let him go without saying anything, so she mustered up the courage to speak in Beom’s place. Her parents had taught her to apologize right away if she did something wrong.

“Excuse me.”

The man turned his head sharply, clearly irritated.

But when Naeun saw his face head-on, she was struck in a completely different way than before. It was clear he wasn’t much older than her, though she couldn’t guess his exact age.

His slightly wavy hair was thick and full. His eyes were clear like a boy’s, yet there was a mature look in them as well. He had a smooth, high nose and lips that were strikingly red. His Adam’s apple protruded sharply, adding a rugged, masculine air.

In short, he was stunningly handsome. Naeun had seen celebrities in Seoul before, but this guy was even better looking than most of them.

“What.”

Annoyed that she called out to him and said nothing, the man snapped curtly. Naeun snapped out of her daze and quickly bowed her head.

“I—I’m sorry. My friend didn’t mean anything bad by what she said.”

“……”

“Still, I apologize.”

Despite her repeated apologies, the man gave no response. Beom quietly watched him for any reaction.

The man, still staring at Naeun, turned the key and fully opened the gate. Then, in a dry voice, he said,

“If you’re sorry, don’t loiter in front of someone’s house. I don’t care about ‘country hospitality’ or whatever.”

Somehow, it felt like he had firmly shut the door to his heart and was deliberately pushing others away. Saying that the kindness of the village elders was just annoying rubbed Naeun the wrong way too. But since they had been in the wrong, she couldn’t say anything and just gave an awkward smile.

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

The man gave her one last look before slamming the door shut and disappearing inside.

Ugh, what a jerk. With that personality, even that face doesn’t matter. Naeun scolded herself for being momentarily mesmerized by his looks. Just then, Beom whispered nervously,

“Did he… did he hear everything? From where to where?”

“Probably from the beginning to the end?”

“Oh… I’m dead.”

“It’s fine. I apologized, anyway. And honestly, like you said, he is kind of a jerk.”

Naeun patted her discouraged friend on the back. Let him try living alone for a while. Being alone here is a whole different thing than being alone in Seoul.