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- 20th Newsletter
Hi there
This is your A.thentic Jong Hee
And this is the 20th Newsletter for you.
How are you?
How’s everything with you?
I hope you’re doing well. Today is August 30th here in Korea, and tomorrow marks the official end of the summer season, although it will likely remain hot well into next month.
So I went to the closest beach today, from my place, Haeundae, and dived into the sea, saying goodbye to it. I swam, alone, for an hour (I don’t stay being in the sea water that long, unless I have company, but I often I go alone).
Afterward, as I was changing clothes before heading home, I spoke with a policeman stationed at the beach (there’s a police station there, ensuring security 24/7—I told you, Korea is the safest place).
I asked him if it was allowed to swim in the sea after the beach officially closes because I’d seen people swimming in September and October last year. He said it’s not allowed by law.
Looking back, the people I saw in the water last year were mostly foreign tourists. There are many 5-star hotels along the beach, and tourists often swim in the sea, with the police generally not intervening.
Okay, now, do you remember the tea cafe I mentioned in a previous post on Instagram?
Let me share some pictures with you.
 |  |
(Unfortunately, the size of this post is too large (because the story text is too lengthy), so they warned me that it might get cut off in Gmail. Therefore, I had to remove all the uploaded photos. So sorry for that).
This cafe was great. You can even sample some tea before ordering. I'm not a tea enthusiast, but I liked their variety and the cozy atmosphere of the cafe. The decor is all in bright pink, creating a warm and cozy space.
But, one slight concern is the price. The average cost of coffee here ranges from around $2 to $5 or $6 (of course, there are much more expensive cafes, but not many). But the tea at this cafe starts at around $10. The quality must be good, though.
Another thing that bothered me was the music. Unlike most coffee shops, they play classical music. While guests seem to enjoy it for the serene vibes it creates, I found it somewhat unsettling. Why? Because the playlist they chose is quite random. They play Baroque, Romantic, Classical, and Impressionist pieces in no particular order. Like, you randomly hear a Bach piece followed by Debussy, then Mozart, Chopin, and back to Handel.
If I listen to this playlist with such random ordering, it can be a torture to me. I understand that they choose popular classical music, but to me, there’s no musical coherence.
This might be the lament of someone who studied music composition, from Baroque to 21st-century contemporary music.
But think of it this way: if you go to a place and hear soft pop music, then rap, then electronic, country, and back to soft pop again, could you truly relax? 😊
But they will play a better playlist next time. The cafe was really good overall.
Now, finally, let me share the fifth story of "A Love Story" for piano. The story is divided into Part 1 and Part 2. It’s a bit longer than the fourth story. Here’s Part 1, and next week, you’ll receive Part 2.
I hope you enjoy the story.
And as you know, the new piano single related to this story will also be released on August 31st at 12:00 AM local time.
Again, welcome to my world with this love story and my new music.
Here are the links to the new song.
Okay. Thank you for reading.🌹
Have a good weekend 🙏
Take care
Best Regards
A.thentic Jong Hee
P. S. You should see '<The End of Part 1>' as the last line of this post. If you don't see it, please let me know.
…………………………………………………………………..
#5 Journey of Love
A few days have passed since then.
The warmth of spring has deepened, making the surroundings even warmer. Being in the southern region, some impatient roses along the riverbank have already begun to bloom. In the pine forest, when the breeze passes by, it feels more refreshing than cold.
Late afternoon. The sound of footsteps quietly echoes on a path in the forest. Hyun and Jane are walking together. Though they met again a few days after the night they confirmed their feelings for each other, they seem more awkward than before.
Jane occasionally glances at Hyun’s profile as they walk slowly side by side, and each time she does, her face turns red. When their hands accidentally brush against each other, Jane's face reddens again. She’s nervous that Hyun might notice how embarrassed she is and tries to calm herself down, thinking that she’s acting immature, but her efforts don’t seem to work.
She realizes that if it were before, she would have asked him all sorts of questions and chatted about anything, but now no words come to mind. As she sneaks another glance at Hyun, he turns to look at her and quietly smiles. Jane is startled and blushes again, but Hyun's warm smile makes her feel more at ease. Then,
“It's awkward, isn't it, Jane?” Hyun asks softly.
"Oh, no, not at all..."
But as Jane stammers through her response, she feels embarrassed, as if she's been caught feeling awkward. When their hands brush again while walking, Jane quickly pulls her hand to her chest, trying to act natural as she looks around and says,
"Ah, the spring breeze here is so refreshing…”
It’s an attempt to make small talk, but it ends up feeling even more awkward. Then, Hyun suddenly stops walking and turns to face her. Surprised, Jane stops too.
“Why? What is it, Hyun..?”
"Give me that..." Hyun says.
“Huh..? Give you what?” Jane asks, confused.
Instead of answering, Hyun extends his hand toward her.
“….?"
Jane hesitates, not sure what he means. Then, Hyun speaks again.
"…Your hand…"
“What..?” Jane asks again.
"Give me your hand."
Still puzzled, Jane slowly extends her hand, and Hyun gently takes it.
“Is it okay to hold your hand?” Hyun asks.
Jane says nothing, only nodding silently, her face still flushed. The two start walking again, a gentle breeze carrying the scent of spring around them.
At the same time, at Sung Jin Fertilizer.
Jane's aunt is in the living room, folding laundry. Jane’s uncle enters the house.
"Where is she now?"
With a scowl, he asks his wife while holding his phone.
"Who do you mean?"
His wife asks, puzzled.
"Who else? Where is she? She's not home, is she?"
He starts to head upstairs to Jane's room.
"She's not here. What's the matter?" The aunt asks, annoyed.
Hearing that Jane isn’t in her room, he turns back, shaking his phone in frustration.
"Why isn't she answering her phone?"
"Maybe she's busy. She could be out somewhere." His wife replies.
"Damn it... Someone is supposed to come here tomorrow, so why is she wandering around now? It’s just causing me trouble.”
He grumbles, clearly irritated.
"Who's coming?" His wife asks.
He doesn’t bother to answer and just storms out of the house.
Back on the forest path.
Hyun and Jane are sitting on a bench. They both stare silently ahead, listening to the sounds of birds and the spring breeze. Jane closes her eyes for a moment, enjoying the cool breeze that seems to carry the moisture from the nearby river, making her feel even more refreshed.
"The air feels so light and clean here. Is it because we're far from the city?" Jane breaks the silence.
"Even though the temperature is rising, it's still cool here, right?" Hyun says.
"Yes… but it's not that cool… I’m actually feeling a bit too warm."
"Warm already? How come? It feels cool to me."
Hyun looks at Jane with concern.
"It’s just... because of this… it doesn’t feel.. cool…" Jane says, glancing down.
Curious, Hyun follows her gaze and realizes he’s still holding her hand.
"Oh! Sorry…"
Hyun quickly lets go of her hand. He had been holding it even while sitting on the bench. Jane brings her hands up to her flushed cheeks, trying to calm the heat rising there, but it doesn’t help much.
“Hardly anyone passes by here, right?” Jane says, trying to make conversation, but her tone reveals her nervousness.
"That's right. Plus, it's the busy farming season, so everyone’s probably hard at work."
"Ah, that explains why I hardly see anyone during the day… But are you sure it’s okay? I’m not taking up too much of your time, am I?" Jane asks.
“No, not at all. I finished all my work before I came. Don’t worry.”
“Okay…”
“Jane, it’s like… you’ve never been in a relationship before,” Hyun comments, looking at her.
“Oh, really…?”
“Yeah…”
The cheerful sound of birds singing fills the air above them. Jane looks up and around at the forest before speaking again.
“This is… my first time.”
“…?”
“Feeling like this…” Jane says softly.
“Oh, really…?” Hyun responds.
"I didn’t know it would feel like this... So I’m both excited... and worried."
"What are you worried about?"
Hyun asks.
"I'm just… worried… that it might break… that these feelings might suddenly disappear… because of me."
Jane's voice grows quieter as she speaks, and Hyun gently takes her hand again, speaking with warmth.
"Don't worry about that, Jane."
Hyun’s comforting words touch Jane deeply, and she feels tears welling up, but she quickly changes the subject.
"By the way, what do people around here do during vacation?"
“Vacation?” Hyun asks, surprised by the sudden question.
"Yes. I just got curious. What do people in this village do during the summer or when they have time off? Where do they go?"
“Well, some people rest at home, others go to nearby vacation spots, and some go to the beach in the summer."
“Oh, the beach… Wow… The beach… That sounds amazing…!”
Jane’s face lights up at the mention of the beach, and Hyun smiles, relieved to see her cheerful again.
“Do you go to the beach, Hyun?”
“Hmm… No. It’s been a long time since I went.”
“Oh, I see…”
“How about you, Jane? Do you go to the beach often?”
“Me..? I like the beach, and the seaside.. but I couldn’t go… I wanted to this time… but I didn’t want to go alone… so I just gave up.”
Hyun gazes at her sympathetically as she answers, her tone a bit wistful.
Later, at Sung Jin Fertilizer's parking lot.
The sun is setting, casting a warm glow across the sky. A pickup truck pulls into the parking lot of Sung Jin Fertilizer. Hyun gets out and opens the door for Jane on the other side. She steps out cutely, and Hyun can’t help but smile at how adorable and lovely she looks.
“Thank you for today, Hyun.”
“You’re welcome. Be careful going in,” Hyun replies.
“Okay, you should go now,” Jane says.
“I’ll go after I see you go inside,” Hyun insists.
“No, really, go ahead. I’m already home.”
Seeing that Jane won’t back down, Hyun relents.
“Alright, I’ll be going now, Jane.”
He bows his head slightly before getting into his truck and driving away. Jane watches him for a moment before heading inside.
As Hyun drives home, his phone rings.
“Yes, Mom. I’m on my way home now. Yes, don’t worry.”
Hyun ends the call and continues driving, his thoughts drifting as he unconsciously glances at the right-hand forest road. A woman’s voice echoes in his memory.
‘What can you do for me? What can you do?’
Another voice answers, tinged with resignation.
‘Nothing…’
‘Nothing?’
‘Yeah… Nothing…’
‘Do you think… this is love?’ The woman’s voice asks.
After a moment, the other voice responds, sounding colder this time.
‘If this isn’t love… then I guess it’s not…’
The voice is Hyun’s. He shakes his head slightly, as if to shake off the painful memory, and focuses back on the road.
Back at Sung Jin Fertilizer.
Jane's aunt is pacing around the living room, talking on the phone.
“Yes… Yes… No, it’ll be fine… Don’t worry… Yes… Yes…”
She glances anxiously toward the slightly open door of the main room, where her husband is sitting with a stern expression, talking, while Jane kneels before him, head bowed, listening quietly. After hanging up, the aunt takes another look through the door and sighs before heading to the kitchen.
A little while later, Jane quietly leaves the main room. Seeing her, her aunt comes out of the kitchen to meet her.
“Ji Soo… Are you okay…?”
Jane’s aunt is the only person who still calls her by her childhood name, “Ji Soo.”
“Yes, Aunt... I’ll go upstairs now.”
“You should eat dinner.”
“No, I’m fine...”
“But you need to eat. Don’t skip meals.”
“I’ll just go upstairs and rest, Aunt.”
Jane's aunt watches her for a moment before replying.
“Alright, go ahead and rest... Hurry upstairs.”
“Yes, I’ll go up now.”
Jane, who looks completely exhausted, slowly makes her way toward the stairs. Her aunt watches her with a worried expression before calling out,
“Ji Soo...”
Jane stops and turns around when her aunt calls her name.
“I’m always rooting for you. You know that, right?”
Jane feels a lump in her throat, but she manages to hold back her tears and turns back around to climb the stairs.
“Oh dear...How could he scold her that much?”
Her aunt watches Jane's retreating figure, feeling even more pity for her, and casts a resentful look toward the room where her husband is.
Jane’s Room on the Second Floor.
Jane quietly enters her room. The darkness outside has already settled in, and the light from the streetlamp in the fertilizer store parking lot casts an eerie glow across the room.
Jane doesn’t turn on the light but instead quietly crouches in a corner of the room.
She buries her head in her arms and remains completely still. After a moment, her shoulders start to tremble. Still with her head down, she finally breaks down in tears. The shadow of a cherry tree, illuminated by the yellow streetlamp, casts a wistful silhouette on one wall of the room.
The Next Morning at Hyun’s House.
At the crack of dawn, Hyun heads to the barn to feed the cows, clean the stalls, and check on each animal’s condition. The early morning is the busiest time for farm work, and today Hyun is quietly going about his chores as usual.
In the kitchen, Hyun’s mother is busy preparing breakfast. Despite her poor health and bad knees, and Hyun’s repeated requests for her to rest, she insists on making all of Hyun’s favorite dishes.
After a while, she opens the front door and calls out to her son in the yard.
“Hyun! Hyun!…! It’s time to eat.”
When Hyun doesn’t respond, his mother puts on her shoes and steps outside.
“That boy, always working without knowing when to stop. I’ve told him not to overdo it...”
She mutters as she steps into the yard, but then she freezes in her tracks. Someone is standing in front of her house.
“Who... are you?”
Hyun’s mother asks, looking at the unfamiliar person. The stranger is none other than Jane! Jane is standing there with a bag in her hand.
As soon as Jane sees Hyun’s mother, she realizes who she is and quickly bows her head in greeting.
“Hi...” Jane says politely.
“Oh... Hi... But, who are you?”
Hyun’s mother responds, puzzled by the unfamiliar young woman. Just then, from behind her,
“Oh, Jane!”
Hyun emerges from the backyard and spots Jane.
“What brings you here so early in the morning? Is something wrong?”
“Do you know her?”
Hyun’s mother asks her son as she sees him greet Jane. Surprised to see Jane standing there, Hyun quickly turns to his mother and replies,
“Oh, she’s... my friend, Mom.”
“Your friend...?” Hyun’s mother remains puzzled by the word “friend.”
“Yes... She’s the one I told you about, Mom.”
“Huh...?” Hyun’s mother still doesn’t quite understand.
“She’s the person I like, Mom.”
Hyun’s mother is taken aback by this and turns to look at Jane again. Jane is wearing a bright pink dress and white sneakers. Hyun’s mother thinks that Jane is very pretty and well-mannered, but she still doesn’t understand why she’s standing in front of the house so early in the morning.
“Oh, I see... So she is your guest. You should have told me earlier. Oh dear, we have a guest. If only he had told me in advance, I would have prepared something. Come on in, come on in…”
With that, Hyun’s mother gestures energetically for Jane to come inside.
“Oh, no...”
As Hyun’s mother insists that she come in, Jane looks uncomfortable and politely declines. Hyun’s mother stands there, even more puzzled.
“Huh...?”
“Mom, she’s not a guest. Please go inside for a moment.”
“Huh? She’s not a guest? But we were just about to have breakfast. She can join us. Come on in, young lady. It’s no trouble at all.”
Hyun’s mother once again urges Jane to come inside.
“No, it’s alright...”
Jane continues to look uneasy, and Hyun gently steps in.
“Mom, I’ll talk to her for a bit and then come in. Please go inside.”
“Huh? Alright... Well, come in and eat after you’re done talking.”
As she heads inside, Hyun’s mother turns once more to invite Jane in. Jane gives her an apologetic smile and bows her head again in thanks.
“What’s going on, Jane?” Hyun asks, his expression full of concern as he approaches her.
“……”
“Is something wrong? You came all the way here so early... Why didn’t you call?”
Then, as if realizing something,
“Oh, we don’t have each other’s phone numbers yet...”
He steps closer to Jane and asks again,
“What’s going on...?”
Jane looks at Hyun’s concerned eyes for a moment before quietly replying,
“I have nowhere....”
Hyun is puzzled by Jane’s quiet words.
“..What…?”
“I have nowhere.. to go... That’s why I came...”
“What do you mean? What do you mean you have nowhere to go? What happened?”
“I...”
Jane hesitates to speak further. Hyun remains silent, waiting for her to continue, his eyes fixed on her.
“Hyun... Can you... take me to the seaside, just once...?”
“What...?”
Hyun is surprised by Jane’s request.
“I want to go to the sea... just once...”
“…..”
“Please... just take me there, anywhere, Hyun...”
Seeing Jane’s pale face, her eyes still puffy from crying all night and looking like she hadn’t slept at all, Hyun decides not to press her for reasons.
“Can you wait here for a moment?”
Hyun responds calmly before heading inside.
After some time, Hyun emerges from the house, dressed for an outing and carrying a small bag.
“Come this way, Jane.”
Hyun calls Jane over to where the pickup truck was parked. At his call, Jane quietly walks towards him. Just then, Hyun's mother comes out of the front door and looks at Hyun with a worried expression.
Seeing this, Jane bows deeply once more from a distance, greeting Hyun's mother. The mother quietly nods and waves her hand, as if telling her to go on. Jane, overcome with emotion at the gesture, barely manages to hold back tears, bows deeply once more, and get into the pickup truck.
A moment later, the truck carrying them heads out. Hyun’s mother stands in the yard, watching until the truck disappears from sight.
"I'm sorry, Hyun... for coming so suddenly like this..."
"It's okay, Jane."
After driving in silence for a while, Hyun speaks up.
“Oh, the sea... where should we go? You don’t like crowded beaches, right, Jane?”
“Any beach is fine with me…”
“If we go to the South Sea, it’s close, but it’s probably too crowded these days. If we want a quiet beach… I think the East Sea would be better.”
“……”
“Shall we try heading to the East Sea?”
Hyun glances at Jane with a slight smile. Knowing that she feels very sorry, he seems to be trying to cheer her up, for which Jane feels very grateful.
“But what about the farm work...? You left so suddenly, how will they manage...? There must be a lot to do…”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I quickly contacted one of the part-timers and asked him to look after the farm for the day. I called before leaving.”
“Okay…”
Jane nods, still unable to shake the feeling of guilt. At that moment, Hyun’s phone rings.
“He’s calling right away.”
Hyun smiles and answers the phone.
“Hello, Hanbin.”
‘I’m just about to head to the farm now.’
Since they are close together, Jane could hear Hanbin’s voice over the phone.
“Oh, you’re already on your way? I’m sorry for the sudden call, Hanbin. And thank you so much…”
'No, it’s fine. Take your time and handle your business.' Then Hanbin suddenly asks,
‘So, you’re not coming tomorrow either?’
“Oh, tomorrow...? Tomorrow...”
Hyun glances at Jane as he responds, uncertain of what to say. Understanding this, Jane turns her head to look out the window, pretending not to hear the conversation, but her face turns red.
“I’ll let you know by the evening how things will go, Hanbin.”
‘Okay, got it, Hyun.’
“Thanks a lot, Hanbin. Take care.”
Hyun ends the call and, feeling a bit awkward, glances at Jane with a slight smile.
Jane, afraid her flushed face will be noticed, can’t return the smile and just continues looking out the window. Then, as if she remembers something,
“But you didn’t have breakfast, did you? Because of me… I’m really sorry…”
At Jane’s words, Hyun suddenly exclaims as if he has forgotten.
“Ah, breakfast!”
“Jane, do you see the paper bag behind my seat? Could you grab it for me?”
While driving, Hyun asks Jane, who then reaches out to the shelf behind the driver’s seat and grabs the paper bag. It’s the bag Hyun brought with him when he left the house.
“Please take out what’s inside, Jane.”
Hyun says while keeping his eyes on the road. Jane, puzzled, opens the paper bag. Inside, she finds a large food container. Jane takes it out.
“Open it,” Hyun says.
Just then, Hyun’s phone rings again.
“My mom is calling now. She knows somehow…”
Hyun says with a smile as he answers the phone.
“Yes, Mom.”
‘Are you on your way…?’
Hyun’s mother’s voice comes through the phone. Once again, Jane feels sorry and bows her head.
“Yes, Mom, don’t worry.”
‘Drive safely, okay?’
“Yes, I’m being careful, Mom.”
‘Have you eaten? Did you have breakfast?’
“I’m about to eat now.”
As he answers, Hyun mouths to Jane, ‘Open it.’ Jane nods and carefully unlocks each latch on the container and slowly opens the lid. Inside are neatly cut pieces of kimbap, beautifully arranged. Alongside them are kimchi and other vegetable side dishes.
“The kimbap looks delicious, Mom,” Hyun says as he looks at it.
‘I made it in a rush, so I don’t know how good it’ll taste. But eat it all, even if it doesn’t taste great, okay?’
“Yes, Mom.”
‘Chew slowly and thoroughly…’
“Okay…”
‘And make sure that young lady eats a lot, too. She looks so worn out…’
“Okay..”
Hearing this, Jane is overwhelmed with emotion but bites her lip and fights back tears.
‘I don’t know what’s going on, but she seems to be going through a lot. I felt sorry to see how such a bright and pretty young lady ended up like that. She looked so sad... You need to comfort her a lot, okay?’
“..Yes, Mom…”
At these words, Jane can’t hold back her tears any longer, and they begin to fall from her eyes.
‘Even if the food doesn’t taste good, make sure she eats plenty. Understand, Hyun?’
“Yes, Mom. I’ll call you again. Please take care.”
Hyun ends the call and then speaks to Jane.
“My mom wouldn’t let me go on a short trip without having eaten, so she made these kimbap as a condition that I eat them all while on the road. She told me to make sure you eat plenty, too, Jane.”
“…..”
Jane, her throat choked with emotion, can only nod in response, unable to speak.
“Go ahead and eat, Jane. I put chopsticks in the bag for both of us.”
Jane slowly pulls out two sets of chopsticks wrapped in paper from the bag. She also notices a water bottle inside, placed there by Hyun’s mother, who has made sure to pack everything her son might need for a meal.
“Hurry and eat, Jane. Take out the chopsticks.”
Jane carefully unwraps the paper and picks up the chopsticks. As she picks up a piece of kimbap, a tear falls onto it.
“I’m so sorry, Hyun… because of me…”
Jane’s voice trembles as she quietly apologizes, and Hyun drives in silence for a moment before responding.
“Please don’t say things like that, Jane… I’m glad you came to me.”
“…..”
“My mother will understand too.”
“…..”
“Just think about the sea now, Jane. Thanks to you, I get to see the sea as well… I feel good about it.”
“…..”
“Go ahead and eat the kimbap, Jane.”
After a pause, Hyun speaks again.
“When the time is right… tell me everything. I’ll listen to it all.”
Hyun looks at Jane intently.
“You will, right?”
Jane quietly nods.
The pickup truck carrying the two of them now heads onto the highway that will take them to another city. The bright morning sun hangs in a clear, cloudless sky, and the fresh spring air spreads across the surrounding fields on this extraordinarily beautiful day.
Inside the Han’s Fertilizer House
Han, who is Jane’s uncle, looks flustered as he walks into the house.
“What? She left already this morning? Where did she go?”
“I don’t know. I thought she was in her room, but when I checked, she was already gone.”
His wife, who is sitting on the couch folding laundry, responds. Annoyed by her answer, Han’s voice grows louder.
“How can that make any sense? You don’t even know where she went, what were you doing?”
“I’ve been busy with the housework and as soon as I got up, she had already left. What was I supposed to do? And maybe she has something she needs to do. Why do you keep trying to confine her when she’s here to rest?”
Frustrated, Han snaps back at his wife.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t even know the situation…”
His wife remains silent in response.
“Did you call her?” Han asks.
“Didn’t you already try?” his wife answers.
“She didn’t answer my call, so I’m asking if you tried.”
“If she didn’t answer yours, do you think she’ll answer mine?”
“Unbelievable… Unbelievable…”
At that moment, Han’s phone rings. He quickly checks the number and, startled, answers the call.
“Oh, hello? Ah, hi… it’s you… Yes, yes…”
He says as he steps outside to take the call.
“What? No, no, it’s nothing. Nothing at all. Don’t worry about it.”
Han's voice can be heard from outside the living room as he tries to handle the call. His wife, still sitting on the couch folding laundry, shows no change in expression.
A few hours earlier at Han’s house.
Early in the morning, Jane’s aunt is busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Just then, Jane quietly comes down from her room on the second floor, carrying a bag. As she tries to quietly leave the house, her aunt steps out of the kitchen and spots her.
“Ji Soo… where are you.. going?”
Though she sees Jane trying to leave, her aunt asks quietly.
“I’m sorry, Aunt…”
Jane replies in a small voice. Her aunt looks at her for a moment before nodding.
“Be careful on your way,” she says with a smile.
“I’m sorry…”
“Go quickly, before your uncle wakes up. Hurry.”
Her aunt gently pushes her towards the door. Jane quietly steps outside.
Back to the present.
Thinking back on what had just happened, Jane’s aunt sighs softly and returns to the kitchen.
On the highway.
The pickup truck carrying Hyun and Jane speeds along the road. Hyun is driving, and Jane is sound asleep in the passenger seat. Despite the many cars coming and going on the highway, Hyun feels as if it is just the two of them, as if the long, wide highway is a world meant only for them.
His heart swells with happiness at the thought, but at the same time, he feels sorry for Jane, who seems to have fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion. He guesses she hasn’t slept properly all night.
As they drive on, the sunlight gradually shifts to the afternoon sun, shining directly on the passenger seat. Noticing this, Hyun quietly lowers the sun visor to shade Jane’s face. Though he knows the seat is uncomfortable, he wants her to sleep a little longer, even if just inside the truck.
Hyun also slows down the truck, afraid that the noise from speeding will wake Jane up. As he drives, he occasionally glances at Jane, still asleep beside him.
The pickup truck carrying the two of them continues to slowly make its way toward the sea.
<The End of Part. 1>