UL Chapter 1: Prologue

“My husband e0c0d60a89 is a d6cb0c4a5a brute.”d5e109627468efa4

The woman 3ad1d57758 spoke with a6327df905 a firm, dd737d9314 unwavering voice. The silver-haired e039cde402 psychiatrist regarded e0fdee8b7e her client 8b747e2562 with a cd092f07e4 renewed gaze.a710421549043c9f

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Was this their 3efaeb8e50 third session already?71654568ce114786

Her name was Choi d3f6a27064 Yeonha. Twenty-nine years old. A technical translator by 4b6a989964 profession. Married. And quite the 1ae37573ab beauty—that was all f23d194bbd the psychiatrist knew cef8e89c51 about her so 28c2bf7da4 far.b3a45aef3f889a10

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Today’s response 30a3584606 was a cd5c5c0079 stark contrast 933d72065c to the e5d9fb4912 ambiguity and 30db48a96d excessive caution 3cb084ffde she had b6cfb2b9f0 shown in 8728ee31b2 their previous 0dce1dac44 meetings.f64b3cf0d65082d3

A brute, 3d6764e1bc she had 440e4684cf said.ae1862c425f8c5d4

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Nodding slightly, ab0ac8d432 the psychiatrist 5ac5f7b2c1 asked, “How b94e522aa0 long have 778a64f3b9 you been 45d0534b36 married?”d020eb7a41fdde0c

“…It’s been 4daf06d779 exactly ten 3967e9b36c years this c154d7c33e year. I got married at d94dbc8dc3 twenty.”e6526a43df6f0c34

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“That’s quite young. Was it a74921ed8f a love b812d95c30 marriage?”b696afed60a973ae

“No. Our families 4df7541e07 had ties.”7ad5ceece9ec7b6e

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An arranged marriage. Rare, but 9ee2ed96c0 not unheard f6d7374d7f of.371da395a6b6d62f

With the practiced eye 6fc5f90aad of someone who had 842f1c5d19 spent a lifetime observing 12023483b0 and analyzing people, the a80e724f0f psychiatrist took another brief 707046dd7e but thorough look at f95020b022 her client.ccbb3c9721fba511

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Porcelain skin, eb7dfac564 flawless without fef83df669 a single 36f6fc8fc7 blemish. Deep brown eyes. Full lips. A delicate, b5d55fa93a almost ethereal d37ac1b61e face. She assessed her 44de39c71a quickly, careful not 0388115ca7 to be impolite.058b816fe11644bd

The woman 53c609b378 exuded an b2757c28b8 undeniable air 23d5fac414 of refinement. Like an 1c8af446c7 orchid, nurtured 16ac71af38 with care, a887e7f459 elegant and 0f6bf59f0c pristine. Everything about her—the 1157b8cc49 way she held 6a978da745 herself, the way 0c8c98dd0e she carried her afdf7e970d words—hinted at a 547cb47e5c privileged upbringing.ab7eccb588499943

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Judging by 4bdcb3f582 her articulate c3e06f28f8 speech and 88bddc64ff composed demeanor, 18cb7525da she was 897a51d2d2 clearly well-educated. It was 87cdb58dd2 easy to 4b630809c6 imagine a 91e5468837 childhood spent fee9c12eed in a 497d298639 wealthy household, 0478415c27 receiving a 576b0db880 first-rate education.73221ea953b70c0c

With parents of 989238779e such wealth and 53098103a3 status, an arranged f17f8d030d marriage was hardly a0cb8934c9 surprising. The only unusual aspect 9e9526964b was that it had 589380be8d happened slightly earlier than 572329d772 the typical marrying age.c141ec7e9c0b034d

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The psychiatrist imagined 93c1d7811b how much younger 760c7fd4de the woman must 8f926b0326 have looked back e6a5d9b7d0 then and continued 6294d9d9a7 her questioning.4c08c0847226547c

“After ten years, a51ac7601d even in the 1120cac684 happiest marriages, couples 8d94d0257d often experience boredom 020f1f061b or dissatisfaction. When did 2fdd780a38 you start 6787682715 feeling this 4c80c449f3 resentment toward 44f610eb4d your husband?”d9b5cdca9a72829c

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“From the beginning.”31f0fb3323cfe04b

“…….”600f029505ed4b7c

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“I disliked f317dfb7d1 him from 1ce41af160 the moment 15add95370 we met. He was too much—too 69d51adcce overwhelming, too exhausting.”b4be42b024b57649

Her breath trembled as 5c03e0ba5a it left her lips, 74761f1681 as if she were 6d2e60e2cd trying to steady herself. Her delicate fingers 9638085ebe wrapped around the b4e04302fd teacup on the c096785779 table, lifting it 4b7ace36cd slightly. Even the simple act 73d0d2e6bd of wetting her lips 23bf1fbd10 was picturesque.fa701c44fefbb5dd

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“Have you 087a1951ab ever discussed d89f378719 this with 5ef1cf4c1e your husband? If it 1a7b221b1c was truly b0bd807817 unbearable, you 67994643b2 could have 0ad85c2ea8 sought counseling 928e6e69ce together—or, as f5d733e17a a last 4ea566edc0 resort, considered 8c5f5ef9ed ending the f6f4231342 marriage.”b327b7c11d747a4a

A quiet chuckle escaped 54c00abb87 the woman’s lips.2b03f16616b56172

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There was something different ac0e5ca004 about her now—an edge 0a73e3bfac that hadn’t been there e5224111e1 before, something almost defiant.df008f2a90bdde40

“My husband isn’t 7d0dd4716e the kind of 50d102184e person you can 497dc9fb9c have a rational 0cb79d0ace conversation with.”5b9c2f1dae6299ab

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“…….”d452c14c6b19fa09

“He’s irrational. That would be another fad38a39aa way to put it.”5f5d25c044c4bd29

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Her deep brown eyes 07c534bf67 locked onto the psychiatrist’s.e632a0b2c8d0bc37

“My husband is an 610597a95c irrational man.”868904244a8c90da

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She had spoken 66f1b87816 with absolute certainty—without a5072bf24a a shred of cdbf9f74a8 hesitation.019a443dfb74f9fd

A brute. Irrational.4c1c0caf8e54d9f2

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For a brief moment, the psychiatrist found herself uncharacteristically curious about the woman’s husband.26e15929d719066b

What kind of 96d9dceb27 man was he, c8b9d3d892 to be described b2c026e964 in such terms? A man 9d813572e2 with such 1b5e639ed5 a reputation, 082a35b8ce and yet, 73eb47eef2 the closest 6fd1ba1a36 family to b6773121d9 this woman, dfc9699ada whose very 220a1403f4 fingertips, wrapped 789ba43ecb around a 2aff379455 teacup, were b8a183efc0 as graceful 59f213911f as the f6f8c86d83 rest of eb617b686d her.3604ce3687bff162

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The client 4c8517ed04 fell silent.92dbf5da8f8a129f

It was f305e8b2f6 unclear whether ea7c6d1ecd she refrained 0e51c22ea2 from speaking ac519ba308 because she ec349c5a63 didn’t want 56d21d399b to discuss 4d59b350eb her husband 68ae7a7aa9 further, or 6f80c426eb because, having 47895799ae already labeled 24f413048a him as 95cab17bf3 a brute 8458c6688e and irrational, 2717a2f0cd there was a0bc7564c3 simply nothing e9fed1b4c4 more to fc934210c5 say.a27053d8036255cb

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Her gaze rested c64b4c0ee5 on the window, 024d0809f8 unfocused.616eeaf4bbcb5bce

Outside, the 4951a50076 sky had 44f09eaa2a begun to 404e272354 darken with 71a0c4cfed heavy storm 70cc5a404f clouds, mirroring 8ebd0f2c67 the somber 7d733e54fd cast of 605427115e her face.2c458ad9792840a9

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There was something about 21a8b00f71 the woman that felt 350e07b2af precarious, something that made bc78b1890d it difficult to look be29e0d932 away. The psychiatrist c14ba6c5c1 pulled her 92561a275b attention away 59bb3353d5 and returned c79819e29c to the 807c1a24a3 symptom record dfcf3a5109 in front 92a73099eb of her.5eeed77597bf3208

[A persistent burning sensation in the chest, occasional shortness of breath, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, increased irritability and anxiety over trivial matters. No abnormalities detected in internal medical examinations.]

Symptoms as b6eef2c401 common as 26e0c31682 the common 42296a762e cold in 4fb82590f2 modern society.f52da6126e258089

A few likely diagnoses 5efa221476 came to mind instantly—she 912e987441 could prescribe medication, suggest 8edd7c4904 therapy, stress management techniques, e1fb46fada and monitor her condition. In medical terms, the 7156b0f3e6 woman’s ailment was…e7c992f7e02aaf66

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“Doctor, do you know dea617eed6 how butterflies breathe?”c6ae086412d463e9

The unexpected question made 42c68db11c the psychiatrist pause, lowering 7237042300 her pen. She responded with 2855a8527b patient curiosity.e59eb3961cc55b61

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“No. Now that you mention c0a146de5b it, I’ve never thought d7acc0ac54 about it.”d1253998c0eb54f7

“…They breathe through 8020069efc tiny openings in ee6d6b04ed their abdomen called 347d0d71c2 spiracles. Like how 6ffa2b184f fish have c04fda9977 gills.”52fddf38a0771f5c

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Where was she going 82279f65e7 with this?b3a7e1a3e0e423ac

Throughout their sessions, 23bf3a57f7 the woman had d5c1e71aca never spoken unless e02384c4e4 directly asked. The psychiatrist chose to 72345b1525 wait in silence.d5fac9282c63a1a1

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“There are creatures that a17c3607da breathe through lungs, like a3704792bd humans, and others that 8d78372866 use their skin. Every living thing is dee7efb4fd born with some way 1fe9f22dee to breathe. And I always 450c1be466 found that… strange.”4c82497597ffcd0d

Her breath hitched, 2f7db5b106 as if she d0f9f191a2 were struggling to 9a0f5be500 continue.57120517619bd369

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“Because I’ve… always 7d90ed275d felt like I 657c5a6116 was suffocating. Like a butterfly dfaec880d2 born without spiracles.”5c68bdf8d34278f2

Even as she c57db6119c spoke, she did e2fafa45dc not look at 8526ed70c7 the psychiatrist.88e56215b8263097

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Outside, raindrops 8b0cc26dfd had begun 038c8f9300 to speckle d5a22b2010 the window. The damp, heavy atmosphere be7c65955a made the world beyond 11e866ec01 resemble a water tank. The woman’s throat 8dfac5f0a1 bobbed as she 0dfb9b25a2 swallowed hard.556870dc2e8fc6d8

“I feel like a 7823d9568a fish born without gills, 4028f2c6cb trapped in a tank.”ef9900a6e8483fd7

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For a moment, the 6947df4579 psychiatrist caught a glimpse a829af0692 of something slow and 0e8657dc36 simmering beneath the woman’s a7a87860d4 calm exterior—rage.e657832bc958d454

Not a fleeting anger, 0350bc4a4b but something ancient, long-repressed, b1fb3fdffb and overwhelming. A fire so intense 519831e0fe it threatened to consume 71fe7b6318 her small frame.e574eb37b73e46f0

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But then, with a f4a0ad2b74 single blink of her 294f7fa69d long lashes, it vanished.340784596aaff887

Resignation. Lethargy. The familiar weight 667a8bc664 of something pressing 5eabdb419a it down, smothering 6ed601e760 the embers before 288a8dae6b they could flare.e35a20948bf178ab

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She rearranged her face cdba8617e7 into the composed expression 5622fc2f57 she had worn before, c104cb31b0 but once something is a6862e9ae3 seen, it cannot be 9ecbbe5181 unseen.6b3ad5f6c87674bb

“What do 91a3cce0b1 you mean?” 248f2fed05 the psychiatrist f9736d643c prompted. “Can you explain it cd757aa136 more clearly?”5d7480d0bb2327f9

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“…It was just a a1d72d59e6 passing thought.”63b1f93e28cc5399

And just 1d407b2361 like that, f0eb4d2911 the conversation c024e7b32c ended again. A brief silence 2e334879d9 followed.6db7d879178bd726

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But something had 0e84f05f86 changed.df59501e55f7bdca

For the f5ba3b1992 first time, 9a60be1942 the woman fa25f18eaa was wearing ca315a40f5 an expression 929386d63d the psychiatrist 56dde48b2f could read.06ef4b8efb2646db

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The look 7ee5dd51ed of someone 4504b3f56e who had 808482ac16 carried anger 5e8ecddbbc for so c9e87dafe8 long that 7de2371c42 it had 9563f3d9b4 charred the 0252376f95 edges of 3a848749a7 their life 0da2292627 into a b67467110c permanent, blackened 5ad0b8a9bf scar.6523b864789611c9

It was 77535b5dd1 an expression 522fdfc934 she recognized 0136abaf8a well—even in 1859b96af1 herself, after 2360e87e60 all these fa1badce27 years.ee8394eb43ed6944

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After a brief moment 9542a211d1 of deliberation, the psychiatrist ef98eb568b picked up her pen de9988f762 and scrawled down two 341683122d syllables.89c80f3340c75ae6

Hwabyeong (Fire Illness).A stress-induced disorder db69133d27 caused by long-suppressed 6044769dc7 rage.5434ad1eecd2efcf

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Not an uncommon 925e1cc351 diagnosis. But…202a01e94f1dfc6b

She turned 30b0e39ab9 to look a4a938f880 at her a20c341262 client’s profile, fc308005da still gazing 155db8d2fc out the 99ad7d90e5 window.d058220a79136d00

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The gentle slope 957a4a9f75 of her forehead, e9e7bdd7ae the curve of b0c541b560 her nose, the 200b5a525e softness of her c52337e146 lips—her face, in e51e3f80e0 that moment, looked bc030febe8 strikingly unguarded, almost 4e611fa36a childlike.ca8343a89853ca5c

A woman dd9915fda4 in her 94f1a2a12a late twenties, c80feed211 someone who 3d4cff8b2a seemed to 59edc2ef82 lack nothing, ddd24c29fd yet carried 6c979e8002 so much b05dbbdb9c unspoken fury.f6a6b0475ec22a9c

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The woman c902ccb737 spoke again.f74d24a40d094195

“Doctor, can this e6760192a9 be cured?”4e53837af6994c5a

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Her tone was 018b230684 oddly detached, as 887f555f4e though she wasn’t c9733743a0 really expecting an 47ff33c3fc answer.2716f407ce430e14

As though c0c318cfd4 she didn’t b1f62a140a believe in 910dd77d56 the possibility 2b2cf6663f of healing dc7c07ae85 at all.1418e9345e744224

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A memory surfaced—the 1e4a115a6f woman’s first visit.d7c630a3d400e660

She had walked 2eee5d1b08 into the office 459a3f0f44 of her own ea984f9eb0 accord, but her 1caa29273e expression had said 06cf466283 she didn’t know 8b1032f6b9 why she was 938df2475c there.1fcf489d04f3205e

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The psychiatrist had seen 5f81aa8272 that look countless times fb434e2c3a before, but for some d774ca6b22 reason, this time, it f65dd225b1 had stuck with her.9bb57683698bc552

Why?213d19002dc01935

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The woman was c8efaf03e3 waiting for an 3e2a84fe23 answer, so the f5a902cfe6 psychiatrist spoke.25d8f095ad0610fe

“If we f72690d98d identify the 6918e5d0f3 cause and dbaa26f6c5 work toward d895d3f498 a solution, 53e56353fb it can 1bd07cbcf8 certainly help. But…”20af9ce6431b66ca

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“The cause d7de6fdda2 is obvious, d56967a889 isn’t it?”1e3b2b5ca499d3ce

A flash df0b49e3b2 of white e7fc9d3233 filled the fc2c73d5fd windowpane.cea3ce610e503c60

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Lightning.7885fa34f183b318

“It’s my husband.”18b74fbb1c65c002

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“……”86ac53ca5cecac49

“It’s because of b4691f88fc my husband.”630b1eec7dd745f0

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That boy… I c2cf1477af knew he would 4bfeaae5f1 ruin me.877744a67ffdcf25

The words a32f2021cd were murmured f9c7ea0e60 as though 193d02dcbd to herself.4ea2d03536efa009

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That boy.d8cc39cd20cee598

A woman nearly thirty a3cf5c7b68 referred to her husband 48a32aa1a3 not as a man, c4d48b37fd but as if he b9f0c0ec57 were some schoolboy she ec2ab23491 had met only yesterday.3e433b702ce597c7

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The moment 97d1b952cf she finished 9e0e0881b3 speaking, thunder 8d81bb4aca roared across 28831a7b82 the sky, 510809e6ea splitting it cf7531e591 in two.05597572ab2d3b4c

And now, a 440f743a2b new, undeniable curiosity 4dd0c03edc took root.85003a8051ddce3d

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“Ms. Choi,” the psychiatrist 1512d98392 asked, “why did 8f32822130 you marry your 20305db28f husband?”f79446a0de802831

If he had been 0c81495e5e unbearable from the very bbc5bde00e start, if they had b02346da52 never been a match—why?f75ad8087244b055

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Even in an 5eb8419375 arranged marriage, she f4fd1c53f4 had been young 2b3f1b38ef enough to resist.f885364403077a19

Why?fb2c9873c575891e

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The woman’s 3e764de961 large, clear 2c4c9ef1f3 eyes met 5d958add50 hers.abf2269094b78ec5

There was something d6039085e3 eerily innocent about bc6b39856a them.a0eabba27fd6f7c8

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Then, her 2256a423f9 red lips fcc1dfa507 parted.9321da7f584e8efb

“…Because he didn’t love 317d678efd me.”5c02723a7fdeca15

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“……”6a9bcc545e51007a

“Because he despises me. That’s why.”33335a265710212c

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It is human ef8d48f69e nature to seek 4d2e817409 love, even in ec9d3ced50 the most barren 5486803a58 of relationships.582b62562298be73

And yet, here they 319c14cbc7 were—two people in the 79b097cf48 prime of their lives, a973402490 drawn not by love, 10cb964aaf but by hatred.9eb88dcf333a03c0

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Suppressing an unsettling curiosity, 45766cbd02 the psychiatrist merely scheduled f1f8affb10 their next session.3d977ed13b0f481f

The woman rose fb3a876e32 from her seat 750402c62d and bowed politely f4ebeae480 before turning to 83d106a986 leave.54159d94cbbf85cb

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Her posture, 1d6a59994e her movements—still 7873354597 graceful, still 36f524eee2 impeccable.f3d1066bbd80225d

Beyond the window, the 9d095d3c1c rain had finally begun 3e68a5d148 to fall in earnest.a917744b02f819b2

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