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- 21th Newsletter
Hi there
This is A.thentic Jong Hee
And it’s 21st newsletter for you
How are you?
How’s everything going with you?
Hope you're doing well.
Now it's September, and like I said before, all the beaches and swimming pools in Korea are closed (except for water parks, etc.). Autumn should be starting, but it still feels like summer (25-31 degrees).🏖
Let me show you some Korean food or desserts (we call them street foods). I introduced them to you before, but I want to share them again.
Lately, I’ve been eating these foods more often than usual because of my emotional state. They help me feel better, even though they come with a lot of 'guilt' when it comes to health concerns. But what can I say? My mental health takes priority, and that’s why these foods are ‘soul food’ to me. (Soul food in Korea varies and depends on personal taste, but most Koreans will agree that these foods are considered soul food).💜💓
No. 1 김밥(Gimbap)
 It’s from a Gimbap shop |  |
No. 2 떡볶이 (Tteokbokki)
 |  Tteokbokki & Eomuk(fish cake) |
(I will talk more about ‘tteokbokki’ in the next newsletter)
No. 3. 꽈배기 / 도넛 (Kkwabaegi (=Twisted doughnut) / Donut)
‘Kkwabaegi’ has a texture similar to a donut, but most of the time, it doesn’t have any filling inside. It’s called 'Kkwabaegi' because it's twisted when made, which is why it’s also referred to as a 'twisted donut.' It's especially delicious when it's hot.
 He is cooking Kkwabaegi |  Kkwabaegi & Donut |  |
 |  Kkwabaegi |  Pat (Redbean) Donut |
Can you imagine how happy I am when I finally get Kkwabaegi after waiting in a long line, also when I eat them with iced coffee at my place?😊💖
One thing, most people enjoy kkwabaegi with a sugar coating on the outside, but I eat them without it. It's the last line of defense for my health. Without sugar is also great for me. I feel like I can taste the essence of it without sugar.
And the donuts here are filled with sweet red bean paste. As you know, that’s why I love them so much.
No. 4. 팥빙수 (Patbingsu)
As you already know, I love this food because it also has sweet red beans with shaved ice.
 |  |
As you may already know, I have a difficult time, especially during the seasonal transition between summer and fall.
Between fall and winter, winter and spring, or spring and summer, I have no problem at all. But the time between summer and fall is tough because, during the hot summer, you see people excited at the beach or cool mountain streams, and then those people are gone when autumn arrives.
A friend of mine, who runs a coffee shop near East Sea Beach (the one who took the pictures for me years ago), mentioned that business owners along the beach often experience a sort of mental depression when summer ends and people leave. It’s like the emptiness you feel after a big festival, seeing only the remnants of decorations and belongings.
It suddenly reminded me of a time when I felt this way while living in Seoul. Do you know where I went? I visited a big traditional market, like Namdaemun Market, which is the largest traditional market in Seoul, and watched as many people came and went.
Isn’t it ironic that I felt a longing for crowds, even in a mega city like Seoul, which has a population of 10 million? But that was only during those unique emotional states. Normally, I preferred quieter, cozier places.
Okay. Thank you for reading.🌹
I will share the next story below, so don’t worry about it.😊
Have a nice week.🙏
Take care, my beloved subscribers, until the next newsletter.
Best Regards
A.thentic Jong Hee
……………………………………………………
Now, for the next story—Part 2 of the 5th story, ‘Journey of Love’—I’m going to share it now.
And I’m not sure when I can share the next story with the 6th song. I need to write it down and compose some of the songs (some have already been written). The whole story is in my head, but I need to sit down and write it in detail. I just don’t want to finish it all in advance.
Before you start reading, here are the links to the song. I recommend keeping the song on repeat while you read the story.
Journey of Love -
(If you haven't watched the video on YouTube yet, take a look. I included some pictures that could depict the travel route of the two people).
The 5th Story “Journey of Love”
By A.thentic Jong Hee
- Part 2 -
Highway to the Coast
On a quiet highway leading to the sea, a pickup truck can be seen driving steadily.
Inside the truck, Hyun drives silently, eyes focused on the road ahead. Every so often, he glances at Jane, who is sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat, ensuring she’s comfortable.
After some time, as Hyun drove while looking ahead, he unconsciously let out a quiet sigh, barely audible but tinged with excitement.
“At last…!”
At his words, Jane stirs awake.
“Oh, I must’ve dozed off… I’m sorry,”
she says, rubbing her eyes and adjusting her seat.
“Did you get some sleep?” Hyun asks.
“Yes, I’m sorry for falling asleep while you were driving,” Jane replies, a bit embarrassed.
“No, it's okay. Don’t be sorry, you should get some more sleep, Jane.
“No, I’ve slept enough. You should’ve woken me up.”
“You looked too tired. I couldn’t wake you,” Hyun says gently.
Jane, still half-asleep, asks, “Where are we now, Hyun?”
“Look ahead, Jane,” Hyun suggests.
As Jane does, she sees a glimpse of the blue sea in the distance.
“Oh, it’s the ocean… We’re here!”
Jane’s voice brightens with excitement.
“Yes, just a bit further, and we’ll be driving along the coast. I’ll stop the car once we find a quiet spot,” Hyun says with a smile.
Jane nods quietly.
A short while later, the pickup truck reaches the coastal road. As the vast expanse of the ocean unfurls to their right, the two people in the car remain silent. Hyun slowly rolls down the passenger window so Jane can feel the sea breeze. The fresh scent of the ocean fills the car, creating a moment of indescribable exhilaration. Jane, gazing out at the sea, suddenly feels tears streaming down her face.
“We’ve… arrived at the sea…” she whispers, her voice choked with emotion.
Hyun simply smiles in response, continuing to drive. He has an inkling that Jane’s urgent need to visit him early in the morning wasn’t merely about seeing the ocean. Still, he hopes that as she looks at the sea and enjoys it, it will bring some comfort to the unspoken feelings deep within her heart.
After a while, Hyun turns off the coastal road onto a narrow path leading closer to the sea. A small parking area surrounded by pine trees comes into view, and just beyond it, the sandy beach stretches out toward the water.
He parks the truck and helps Jane out, walking together toward the beach. As the gravel path gives way to soft sand, the ocean comes into full view, with gentle waves lapping quietly against the shore. The area is remote, not a popular tourist spot, so there are few people around—only a few fishing boats in the distance, moving peacefully.
Jane suddenly breaks into a run toward the water, as if she can’t wait any longer. Hyun watches her, thinking how radiant she looks, running toward the sunlit, shimmering blue sea.
‘Such a beautiful lady… what’s troubling her so deeply…’
From a distance, Hyun watches Jane, who calls out to him, “Come here, Hyun! The sea! It’s so beautiful here. Hurry!”
Despite the fleeting worry that crosses his mind, Hyun decides to wait for Jane to open up on her own. For now, he resolves to share in her joy and be present with her.
“Look at the color of the sea, Hyun.”
Standing at the edge of the waves, Jane marvels.
“It’s beautiful…” Hyun agrees, standing beside her, both of them silently gazing at the sea. Each is lost in their own thoughts, memories invoked by the ocean.
As Jane gazes at the sea, she becomes increasingly saddened, wondering why it was so difficult for her to come this far. Hyun, too, feels a heaviness in his heart, realizing that he never had the mental space to visit the sea while working on the farm after moving from Seoul to his parents' hometown.
“You know something, Jane?” Hyun breaks the silence.
“Hm?” Jane responds, still looking out at the sea.
“When you live in Seoul or any big city, the sea becomes a kind of symbol. People always say they want to see the sea when they’re tired of city life. But I don’t think it’s really the sea they want to see. It’s more like a yearning to escape from the grind of their daily lives.”
Jane nods quietly in agreement, understanding what Hyun means. He continues,
“When I lived in Seoul, even when I came to the sea alone or with friends, I never really stood and looked at it like this. We’d just think, ‘Oh, we’re at the sea,’ and then head straight to a raw fish restaurant to drink.”
Jane smiles at this, finding herself in agreement. After a moment, she speaks up.
“Yes… But the sea really is beautiful, isn’t it?”
She pauses, then adds, “I want to go in.”
Without waiting for a reply, Jane kicks off her shoes, tosses them onto the sand, and lifts the hem of her dress as she strides into the shallow waves. Hyun watches her with a smile.
“There she goes again, unable to resist,” he mutters to himself before calling out, “Be careful! You’ll get your clothes all wet.”
“It feels so refreshing! Come join me, Hyun!”
Hyun only smiled at Jane's words, watching her silently. Jane playfully kicked at the gentle waves around her feet, and skipped around as if she were a child, enjoying herself.
“Your clothes will get wet, Jane.”
Hyun tells Jane to be careful, but he doesn’t really intend to stop her. Since she had wanted to come to the sea so much, he hopes she enjoys it to the fullest.
“Look, a shell!” Jane exclaims, spotting a seashell revealed by the receding tide. She quickly picks it up, marveling at its beauty.
“Wow… It’s beautiful! Look at this, Hyun. Isn’t it pretty?” she says, holding the shell up for him to see.
“It is,” Hyun replies, still standing on the shore.
“Oh, there’s a bigger one over there. Come on, Hyun! Don’t just stand there,” Jane urges, wading further into the water to retrieve another shell.
Reluctantly, Hyun takes off his shoes and steps into the cool, ankle-deep water. The chill of the sea spreads from his feet throughout his body, a refreshing sensation he hasn’t felt in a long time.
“I’ve really… come to the sea…” he murmurs to himself, and suddenly, a memory flashes through his mind—the image of a woman crying, calling out to him on the shore.
“Why did you bring me all the way here just to break up with me? What’s your reason, huh?”
A woman wailing and hurling accusations at him.
“What is this nonsense? You said we’d go to the sea, and now you’re telling me to break up? Is that what this is?”
The woman, crying and shouting in front of Hyun. As he recalls this, he murmurs to himself.
“You wanted to see it… the sea..”
And in his memory, Hyun says the same words to the woman.
‘You wanted to see it… the sea…’
“Then you come to my favorite place and declare your departure? Is this revenge?”
“……”
Both the Hyun in the memory and the Hyun now are left speechless by those words. At that moment,
“Hyun, what are you doing over there? Your pants are getting soaked.”
Jane’s voice snaps him back to reality. He looks down to find that the rising tide has indeed soaked his pants up to the knees.
“You were worried about me, but you ended up falling into the water first again…”
Jane murmurs to herself, watching him from afar.
“Hyun, shall we head over there? To the lighthouse and the breakwater? It looks beautiful,”
Jane suggests.
“Okay,” Hyun replies.
“Let’s drive. It’s a bit far,” Jane adds.
“Alright,” Hyun agrees.
The two leave the water and head back to the truck, walking in silence. Jane notices the somber expression on Hyun’s face as they walk side by side. She suspects he’s wrestling with some difficult thoughts but decides not to pry.
Soon, they’re back in the truck, driving along the small coastal road. In the distance, the lighthouse and breakwater come into view.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it, Hyun?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Have you been here before?” Jane asks.
“Here? No, this is my first time,” Hyun answers.
“Oh… I see…”
“Why..?” Hyun inquires, curious about her sudden change in tone.
“No reason…” Jane responds.
They park near the breakwater and walk toward the lighthouse. The breakwater extends deep into the ocean, with a large red lighthouse standing at the end. A few anglers are scattered along the breakwater, their lines cast into the sea. Each seems to be alone, silently enjoying their time by the water. The clear sky, gentle waves, the scent of the sea, and the occasional cry of seagulls create a serene atmosphere that makes solitude feel warm and inviting.
As they walk along the breakwater toward the lighthouse, they take in the surrounding scenery. The cool sea breeze feels like it’s sweeping away their worries, leaving a refreshing calm in its wake. When they reach the lighthouse, they find it even more impressive up close, its bright red paint standing out against the blue sky and sea.
“Wow, it’s so beautiful… Isn’t it, Hyun?” Jane exclaims.
“It’s magnificent…” Hyun agrees.
“Let’s go around it,” Jane suggests.
As Jane suggested, they walk around the lighthouse. Beyond the railing at the end of the breakwater, the endless blue sea stretches out. The view of the ocean from left to right is so vast that the two of them are momentarily speechless. The cool sea breeze rustles their clothes and tousles their hair, but they remain silent.
After a while, Jane speaks.
“I didn’t know it would be this hard to get here…”
Jane clings to the railing that reaches up to her chest and says.
“Didn’t you?” Hyun responds.
“But this view… it’s too precious to share with anyone. I don’t want to show it to just anyone…”
“…..”
Hyun remains silent in response to Jane’s words.
“Thank you, Hyun…” Jane says.
“For what?” Hyun asks, smiling as he looks at Jane.
“For bringing me here…”
“Thanks to you, I get to see the sea too. I should be the one thanking you.”
Jane smiles at Hyun’s words and then continues.
“When was the last time you saw the sea, Hyun?”
“Well… I think it’s been a few years. The last time was when I went to Busan with my mother to visit relatives, and we drove along the coast briefly. It’s probably the first time since then.”
“I see…” Jane then asks again.
“What about before that? What was your memory of the sea like?”
“Before that…?”
Hyun thinks for a moment at Jane’s sudden question and then replies.
“Well… I don’t really remember. I don’t recall what it was like.”
“Okay…” Jane nods quietly.
At that moment, a strong gust of wind blows in from the sea, rustling their clothes. The sound of the flapping fabric and the sensation feel pleasant, as if the sea is telling them to think only of the sea.
“It seems it wasn’t a pleasant memory. If it’s not coming to mind immediately…”
Hyun responds.
“I guess so…” Jane says, pausing before continuing.
“Do you think the memory of being here with me now will be a good one?”
Jane asks, and Hyun looks at her face. He senses a mixture of shyness and tension in Jane’s expression.
“It will be a good memory…”
“How do you know that?”
“Because…”
Hyun takes a moment before continuing.
“At this moment… I wish time could stop. I wish it could stay like this forever…”
“…?”
“Unless it’s a bad situation, having such a wish is… probably difficult, don’t you think?”
Hyun smiles as he answers. Jane’s expression brightens at his response but then quickly darkens again.
“But I… I’m anxious…”
“What are you anxious about?”
“About ruining it… Because of me…”
“Don’t think like that, Jane. Why would you think such foolish things…”
Jane suddenly changes her tone and says,
“Oh… I’m hungry, Hyun. Shall we go get something to eat?”
“Oh, should we? Let’s go.”
The two of them leave the lighthouse behind and walk back to where the truck is parked.
At the same time, inside the Sung Jin Fertilizer Store.
In the afternoon, the Sung Jin Fertilizer store is quite busy with a considerable number of customers. Han and several employees are moving about busily. Han approaches a busy employee, Lee Jin-oh, who is preoccupied with billing herbicides, pesticides, and small tools brought in by customers.
“Lee, did you get the payment for the fertilizer from the Park family?” Han asks. “Oh yes, boss. They only paid half. They said they’ll pay the rest next week.”
Lee Jin-oh answers without even looking at Han while busy scanning product barcodes.
“Why only half? You should have collected the full amount.”
“Oh, boss. What could I do if they didn’t give it? I have no power. Besides, they say it’s cheaper to order online. If I press them, they might stop being regular customers…”
“Hey, then why didn’t you just tell them to order online? Online or whatever, there’s a lot of low-quality stuff out there, and they know it, so they come to my store. Can’t you see that?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Lee Jin-oh, finishing up the transactions, greets the customers leaving.
“Oh, boss. Even credit transactions are still transactions. If you push too hard, they really won’t come to our store anymore.”
“Are you trying to lecture me now?”
“By the way, when did your niece become so close with that guy from Kim’s farm? Wow, it looked so..…”
Han’s eyes widen in surprise at Lee Jin-oh’s unexpected remark.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, I saw your niece in front of Kim’s farm house early this morning. It looked like they were going somewhere together. It’s really enviable. She’s so beautiful that I couldn’t even talk to her. When did they get so close and spend the whole morning together? It’s really…envy…so envious…”
Han listens to Lee Jin-oh’s mumbling as he continues to ring up customers.
“When was this? This morning?”
“Yes, this morning. I saw it while I was coming to work.”
“..I see…”
“Anyway, men need to be handsome too. That way, they can get close to beautiful girls faster…”
Shaking his head, Lee Jin-oh continues to mutter.
“Ha… I’m really envious… so envious…”
As Han hears Lee Jin-oh’s ongoing muttering, his expression hardens, and he leaves the store.
Back at the beach.
Hyun and Jane are leaving a restaurant by the seaside.
“Why didn’t you eat more, Jane?”
“I ate a lot. I’m full.”
Jane cheerfully pats her stomach.
“You didn’t eat much either, Hyun. Even less than me.”
“I did eat a lot…” Hyun replies with a smile.
“Let’s get some coffee, Hyun.”
“Okay.”
They walk along the beach a bit and stop by a café to buy a cup of coffee each. Holding the hot coffee in disposable paper cups, they walk together.
“Be careful, Jane. The coffee is hot.”
“Okay. Let’s go over there and sit while we drink, Hyun.”
Jane points to a bench in the middle of the beach road lined with shops. Hyun nods in agreement.
Once they reach the bench, they sit side by side, looking at the sea. Jane opens the lid of her coffee cup and takes in the aroma.
“It smells good… coffee… doesn’t it?”
“Yes… it does.”
“Don’t just say it, take a sniff.”
Jane brings the open coffee cup close to Hyun’s nose. Hyun then smells the coffee.
“Doesn’t it smell nice?”
Jane waits for Hyun’s response with a smile. Hyun quietly nods and smiles.
Jane takes a careful sip of her coffee, blowing on it to cool it down. She feels a warm, comforting sensation as the coffee goes down her throat and sighs contentedly.
“It’s delicious… coffee…”
Hyun, smiling beside her, takes a sip of his coffee as well. Then,
“Hyun…”
“Yes…?”
“I’m really… happy right now…”
Hyun responds to Jane’s words with a smile.
“I wish tomorrow wouldn’t come… I wish it would stay like this…” Jane says.
“…..” Hyun remains silent.
“I also… wish this moment could really… stop… like you said, Hyun.”
Then Hyun replies.
“Or if tomorrow is like today… I’d be happy. Even tomorrow…”
Jane falls silent for a moment at Hyun’s words.
“I really hope so too…”
Jane says, then takes another sip of her coffee. In the distance, a few seagulls land on the beach and peck at the ground in search of food. The sound of the seagulls and the waves blend together to create an endlessly relaxed and peaceful seaside scene.
As they drink their coffee, the two focus their gaze on the distant sea. They don’t speak, but this moment may be when they are having the most meaningful conversation. Jane feels deeply grateful and warmed by Hyun’s silent presence. She turns her head to quietly look at Hyun. Sensing Jane’s gaze, Hyun looks back at her. His eyes are filled with warmth.
“Why…?”
Hyun asks in a soft, quiet voice. Jane gently shakes her head as if it’s nothing. Hyun responds with a smile. At that moment, a gentle sea breeze comes and lightly brushes Jane’s hair, making it flutter. Jane slowly touches her disheveled hair with her hand. Hyun looks at Jane’s hand: her pure white, slender fingers, delicate hand shape, and beautifully manicured nails.
‘She’s so beautiful..’
Hyun thinks to himself.
After some time has passed, the sky over the far side of the beach starts to show a reddish hue. Then,
“Time seems to pass quickly here…”
Jane says as she looks at the sky.
“It does seem that way…” Hyun responds.
“It speeds up when you wish it would stop. This time…”
Jane mutters quietly to herself. Hyun smiles gently at her words. He thinks that it’s natural for time to pass quickly when this moment is so precious. Then,
“Hyun, wasn’t there something you wanted to do when you came to the sea?”
“Something I wanted to do..? Hmm…”
“Tell me. I'll do everything for you. Everything.”
“Well… not really… but if I had to say, I wanted to walk along the beach. For a long time…”
“Ah, on the beach?”
“Yes…”
“Then let’s go.”
Jane stands up abruptly.
“Have you finished your coffee? Then let’s go for a walk, Hyun. We’ll walk by the sea all night.”
“All night? Is that okay? It might be tiring…”
Hyun asks as he slowly stands up, following Jane.
“If it gets tiring, we can take breaks while walking. I’m not worried. Because you’re here with me.”
Hyun responds to Jane’s words with a smile.
“Let’s go, Hyun.”
Jane reaches out her hand to Hyun. As Hyun takes her hand, the two start walking towards the sea.
Inside Sung Jin Fertilizer Store
As soon as Han entered the store, he calls for his wife.
"Hey, get me a suit jacket."
His wife comes out from the big room.
"Why do you need a jacket?" she asks
"I can't just leave it. I tried not to get involved, but it looks like I have to do something." "What’s going on?" His wife asks, puzzled.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just get me any one of them quickly."
"Where are you going?"
“Can you just bring it to me?”
Irritated by her husband’s tone, his wife goes to the big room and brings out a suit jacket. She then asked again.
"What’s going on? Why are you suddenly going somewhere in the middle of your work?"
"I need to go to Mr. Kim's farm. I need to talk to his mother. Where's the car key?"
Putting on the jacket, Han searched the living room for the car key, while his wife watched him with a puzzled look.
Back at the Beach
Hyun and Jane were walking along the beach, where the waves gently lapped at the shore. The calm sea breeze added a pleasant coolness and refreshment to their steps. In front of them, the sky over the sea began to display a pale pink sunset. Hyun occasionally glanced at Jane, checking if she was tired, if his pace was too fast, or if she was in any discomfort.
"This sea... It's so beautiful..." Jane said quietly with a sigh.
"Isn't it?" Hyun replied.
Just then, a young child ran cheerfully along the sandy beach and stopped right in front of the sea.
"Be careful, Ji yoon. Don’t go in. Your clothes will get wet. Step back."
The child’s mother shouted from behind, but the child seemed completely uninterested in her mother’s warnings. The child continued to smile brightly, thinking the waves were playing with her, and eventually dipped her hands into the water despite her shoes already being wet.
"Oh no, Ji yoon. No."
The mother hurried over from afar. At that moment, Jane quickly approached the child and helped her stand up.
"Sweetie, it’s dangerous here. Your shoes and clothes will get wet. Then your mom will scold you, right? Let's come out."
Taking the child's hand, Jane gently coaxed her out of the water. The child's mother arrived and approached the child.
“Ji yoon, you'll fall into the water. Didn’t I tell you to be careful?"
The mother scolded while brushing off the child's pants and hands, but the child still continued to smile happily.
"You would have fallen into the water if it weren’t for this aunt. Do you know that? You should say ‘thank you’ to this aunt. Come on."
The mother motioned for the child to thank Jane. The child, following her mother’s instructions, bowed and said with a lisp.
"Th-thank you..."
Seeing the little girl bow and thank her was so cute that Jane's face lit up with a smile.
"Now, you should say thank you to this uncle too."
The child's mother instructed her to bow to Hyun as well. The child bowed to Hyun, who also responded with a nod.
"Now, let’s go. I’m sorry about this. Goodbye."
The child's mother took her hand and apologized to Jane and Hyun before walking away with the child.
"Uncle...?"
Hyun quietly murmured.
“Yes, we have become a married couple in the eyes of the child, haven’t we?”
Jane smiled and said.
"The child is so cute, isn’t she?"
Jane spoke to Hyun while watching the child walk away with her mother. Hyun agreed and nodded quietly. The two continued walking along the beach.
"I had a close friend once. She..."
Jane began to speak.
"She said she didn’t want children even if she got married, but once she got married and had a child, she was very happy."
"I see..."
Hyun listened with curiosity and amazement at the rare mention of Jane’s friend. Jane stopped talking and walked quietly. Hyun then asked her again.
"So, was your friend very happy after having the child?"
Jane paused before responding.
"No..."
“Why..?”
Hyun was puzzled by her unexpected response.
"She wasn’t able to have a child."
"Why?"
Jane took a moment before speaking.
"She is so pitiful..."
Jane’s lack of further explanation made Hyun decide not to ask more questions. He felt that it might only add to her current pain to delve into her friend's past.
On Hyun's Neighborhood Street
An old, worn-out car is seen on the street. Inside the car is Mr. Han, who is heading towards Hyun's farm with a serious expression on his face.
Back at the Beach
Hyun and Jane walk on the beach with the red sunset spreading across the sky above them.
"This sea sunset is beautiful too, Hyun."
"Yes, it is."
"But the sunset view from Yongdu mountain below your house is also very beautiful."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, definitely." After a moment, Jane continues,
"Hyun... I..."
"…"
"I really like you, Hyun. Do you know that?"
Hyun is momentarily speechless at her words.
"Do you know how much I appreciate you being so caring and loving towards me?"
“.…"
A few seagulls fly overhead, and fishing boats slowly make their way back to shore before it gets darker.
"My real name is... Ji Soo. Han Ji Soo. Before I was called Jane."
"Oh, Ji Soo... that's a pretty name."
"But people around me prefer that I live as Jane rather than Ji Soo."
“.. I see."
Then Jane suddenly stops and looks back. The footprints they have made on the sand stretch long behind them.
"Those are still there..." Jane says softly.
"What do you mean?" Hyun asks, turning to look.
"Our footprints... Look at them, they’re still there."
"Yes..."
"I hope they don't get erased..."
Jane's words are filled with a sigh. Hyun listens quietly.
"Hyun..."
"Yes..."
"Please don't forget this moment, like those footprints..."
"…."
"Even if the footprints are washed away by the waves, I will never forget this moment."
A breeze from the sea gently rustles Jane’s clothes.
"Hyun, can you promise me that...?"
Jane looks at Hyun, asking him.
At Hyun’s House
A car enters the yard. As the unfamiliar car arrives, Baekdu, who is in the yard, barks fiercely.
In Sung Jin Fertilizer’s Parking Lot
A large, flashy sedan enters the parking lot, which is not typical for the countryside.
Back at the Beach
Jane, looking into Hyun’s eyes, asks again,
"Can you promise that you won’t forget this moment, Hyun?”
Hyun, seeing the desperation in Jane’s eyes as she asks with tears forming, feels a surge of anxiety. He looks at Jane.
In Hyun’s House Yard
As Baekdu continues barking, the front door opens, and Hyun’s mother appears.
"Baekdu, why are you barking? Is someone here?”
Calming Baekdu and looking around, she notices someone standing in the yard.
"Who is it?"
"It’s me, ma’am..."
Someone greets her. It is Jane's uncle.
"Who is it?"
"I’m Mr. Han from Sung Jin Fertilizer in the town."
Upon hearing this, Hyun’s mother closes the door and then opens it to step outside.
"Mr. Han? Oh, hi..what brings you here…?"
As she comes out to the yard, she sees Han standing there with a serious expression.
Back at the Beach
Jane looks into Hyun’s eyes and stands still. Hyun then says,
"Jane, don’t worry. I will never forget this moment.”
Jane seems relieved and nods, then turns back to continue walking forward. Hyun watches her walking ahead with concern. He catches up with her and walks alongside her.
“Hyun..."
Jane calls his name softly, and Hyun, feeling a surge of anxiety, composes himself and responds calmly.
“Yes..."
Jane, continuing to walk slowly, says,
"I have something to tell you…"
In Sung Jin Fertilizer’s Parking Lot
A man in a neat suit gets out of the large sedan and looks around slowly.
Back at the Beach
“Yes..."
Hyun quietly responds to Jane’s statement about having something to say. Although she is taking her time, he waits patiently.
“I am.. married..."
"…?"
“I am… married…"
As the sunset over the distant sea grows redder, casting a red hue on the blue sea, an unknown breeze sweeps through Hyun’s heart.
<The End of #5>