Chapter 169 Even the Almighty is New to Being a Dad Chapter 170
Absolute One Is Also a First-Time Dad Episode 170
The next day, rain poured down once more.
"Going to see Grandma again?"
At Kang-jun's question, Seol answered with an enthusiastic "Mm-hmm!" before struggling to pull on her rain boots, chattering all the while.
"Grandma said she'd teach me how to write my name in Hangul."
Kang-jun nodded.
"Alright, have a good time."
The face of the elderly woman he had met yesterday suddenly flashed through his mind.
"That old woman...."
From the balcony, Kang-jun watched silently as Seol, clad in a raincoat, trudged away with careful steps.
"She was clearly dying."
Through the window, he could see Seol hopping lightly from one spot to another, deliberately stepping only where puddles had formed in the muddy ground.
Since Seol had grown so fond of her, he wanted to help.
But...
There was nothing he could do.
If it had been an illness, perhaps—but she was simply walking toward death in the most natural way possible.
Aging.
The lifespan granted to humans is short.
People think they're living...
But in truth, they're just dying.
"Hmm."
There was nothing he could do to help.
For some reason...
A sense of powerlessness weighed heavily on him.
"She'll grieve...."
He worried that his daughter might soon feel the pain of loss.
She had grown so attached—it wouldn't be long before she was deeply saddened.
"This won't do."
Muttering under his breath, Kang-jun stepped out to follow Seol.
"Ahh...."
They say that as you grow old, sleep becomes scarce.
Yet today, she had slept in unusually late.
For the first time in decades.
"They say when death draws near, everything changes. Even the stubbornest habits fade—look at me, skipping the morning market I never missed in my life, just to sleep...."
Had her time truly come?
Because she would soon sleep forever...
Had sleep suddenly become more precious?
"Yeong-rye, come to Seoul with me."
Her dreams had been restless today.
"Run away with me and let's live together."
Her long-departed husband had appeared in her dreams.
Oh, you fool, you fool...
What was so urgent?
"What was so urgent...?"
Why did you leave so suddenly?
You reckless, kind-hearted young master.
Why did you seduce a naive maid like me?
"Why...?"
Why did you give me your love?
Why...
Did you leave me to live as a widow all my life?
"Why did you go...?"
Sitting blankly on the edge of her bedding, she let out a bitter laugh and whispered.
"I miss you...."
What did the passing years matter now?
The day they would meet again couldn't be far off.
With effort, she pushed herself up.
"Ahh...."
She headed straight to the kitchen, where she poured herself a cup of cold water and stirred in a generous amount of sugar.
This was her breakfast.
Lately, solid food wouldn't go down her throat, so she often made do with sugar water to stave off hunger.
Had dreaming of her husband stirred something in her?
Memories she had tried so hard to forget...
Kept resurfacing.
"Mom, Mom."
On the day of her husband's funeral, her daughter had clutched the hem of her mourning clothes, whining for food. That face kept flickering in her mind.
"You heartless girl, how can you think of stuffing your face when your father just died—?!"
She had slapped the child's bottom in frustration.
Calling her a foolish girl, scolding her...
The memory of her daughter crying pitifully came back to her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...."
She murmured softly as she shuffled toward the kitchen.
"I was just scared...."
Back then, she had known nothing—just a naive maid who blindly believed the sweet promises of the young master from a wealthy family and followed him to Seoul in a rush.
It had been an elopement.
Lured by his promise that she would never go hungry, that she wouldn't have to toil in the fields, that she would live comfortably—she had followed him.
That girl, this girl...
She, who had been called nothing but "hey, you," had been so touched when he called her by her name—"Yeong-rye"—that she had followed him without hesitation.
"I was a terrible mother, and I was scared...."
Overnight, she had been thrown into the world.
Illiterate, unable to count...
Yet suddenly, she had to survive.
But she endured.
Because it pained her that she had never been educated.
It hurt so deeply...
That she made sure her daughter learned everything.
She raised her on the best food and clothes their meager means could afford.
Sent her to university, supported her until she found a job, and saw her married off.
Even after giving her daughter everything, she still felt guilty for not giving more.
The memory of taking out her frustration on her child for asking for food haunted her—she had apologized countless times since.
"Ahh...."
She sat down on the worn wooden floor of the old house.
The house where she had lived with her husband.
She couldn't bear to leave, so she had stayed.
Swoooosh—
Today, too, the rain poured down.
Suddenly...
A promise with her husband came to mind.
"Yeong-rye."
It was the day he had returned from war, only to die soon after.
"Once this rainy season ends, let's go somewhere—anywhere—and rest, have fun, then come back."
His voice still buzzed in her ears.
"Where should we go?"
After hesitating for a long time, she had answered.
"The wheat fields back home."
That night when she had clutched his hand and fled with him to Seoul, the wheat fields of her hometown had flashed through her mind.
"I want to see the wheat fields back home."
Her husband had promised.
"Alright, let's go."
As if it were the easiest thing in the world.
"We'll just go."
That day, his time had stopped.
"Forty years have passed already."
She looked up at the sky and spoke.
"I've grown so old...."
Her cracked lips trembled.
"Yet I never got to see those wheat fields."
Suddenly, a flash of light streaked across the sky.
KABOOOM!
Lightning struck in the distance.
"If you make a promise, you should keep it...."
Softly, she whispered again, "You should have kept it."
"Why did you stop that day?"
The rain grew heavier.
"Are you crying for me?"
Gazing at the sky, she murmured once more.
"Thank you for crying...."
As she reached out her hand, the pouring rain tapped lightly against her wrinkled, weathered palm.
"If we meet again, please recognize me."
Her heart ached.
"I missed you so much."
Tears began to stream down her face in thick rivulets.
"It's strange."
The husband she had yearned for all her life.
The daughter she had raised like a precious jewel.
Even her own name—three simple syllables.
"Sometimes, I can't remember any of them."
Just then.
Knock, knock—
Someone rapped at the door.
Just as she was about to ask who it was—
The iron gate creaked open.
"Grandma!"
Immediately, her face brightened.
"Sweetheart!"
Seol scampered over and said,
"Today, I couldn't find you in the alley, so I came to your house!"
"Good girl, good girl."
"But Grandma, why are you crying? Did I come too late and make you sad?"
At that, the old woman scooped Seol into her arms and settled her on her lap.
"I was crying because my memories keep fading."
"What did you forget?"
"Yes, I keep forgetting things."
Seol tilted her head and asked,
"Then why don't you write them down?"
"Hmm?"
"If you write them, you won't forget!"
With that, Seol immediately opened the bag tied inside her raincoat and pulled out a notebook with a chick drawn on the cover.
"Then I'll give this to you."
"To me?"
"Mm-hmm! What don't you want to forget?"
Then, gripping a pencil, she added,
"I'll write it all down for you."
The old woman spoke.
"My name is Kim Yeong-rye."
"My name is Kim Yeong-rye."
She repeated.
"My daughter is Lee Yeong-mi."
"My daughter is Lee Yeong-mi."
Again, she said,
"My husband is Lee Hui-bok."
"My husband is Lee Hui-bok."
After a pause, she continued.
"Once this unusually long rainy season ends..."
"Once this unusually long rainy season ends..."
"We promised to go to the wheat fields in summer."
"We promised to go to the wheat fields in summer."
Seol asked again,
"Is there anything else you don't want to forget?"
"Write down the child's name too."
"Okay! I'll write it really pretty!"
Seol carefully scrawled her own name in crooked letters.
My name is Seol.
Then, with a cheerful "Here!" she handed over the notebook.
"Thank you, thank you."
Seol beamed. "You're welcome!" Then she immediately asked,
"Should we write the letter today too?"
"The letter?"
"Yesterday, you said we had to finish it."
The old woman nodded.
"Yes, please help me again."
"Mm-hmm! I'll write it for you!"
"In return, I'll make you a tasty snack."
"What's the tasty snack?"
"I'll roast some sweet potatoes for you."
"I love sweet potatoes..."
The old woman retrieved the neatly folded letter from yesterday and handed it back to Seol.
"What should I write?"
And so, Seol carefully transcribed Kim Yeong-rye's words.
After writing for a long time, she examined it closely.
I have something to say,
But I don't know how.
So I'm writing this letter.
The fortune-teller told me,
That my time is near.
It won't be long now.
But it feels so far away.
Here, the pen changed.
She had switched to a different one.
I'm sorry for hitting you when you asked for food.
I took my anger out on you.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
No matter how much I apologize, it's not enough.
I have no shame, but I beg you.
Scatter my ashes in the wheat fields.
Don't rush to tend my grave.
I'll run a business in the afterlife too.
This time, I won't be a poor mother.
I'll be rich, so come to me late.
My precious daughter.
I'm so proud of the woman you've become.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
Seol handed the letter back.
"I wrote it all!"
The old woman smiled.
"Good girl. I'll roast the sweet potatoes right away."
Her daughter had loved sweet potatoes too.
She had wanted to feed her so many.
But they couldn't afford it.
The rain continued to pour.
Meanwhile, the sweet potatoes roasted.
Golden and fragrant.
Late at night, Kang-jun returned to the old hanok where Kim Yeong-rye lived.
As the rusted iron gate opened and he stepped inside...
Seol, who had been scribbling something on paper in the main hall, shouted.
"Daddy!"
"Thank you for looking after her again today."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you."
Kang-jun then asked Seol,
"What did you do today?"
"I helped write a letter!"
When Kang-jun responded with "Oh?" Seol added excitedly,
"And I taught her how to write some words!"
"Huh?"
"I taught her how to write names!"
Kim Yeong-rye smiled awkwardly.
"She's such a clever child."
Kang-jun nodded.
"We should get going now."
Seol waved vigorously at the old woman.
"Grandma, I'll come again tomorrow!"
The old woman waved back softly.
As Kang-jun stepped out of the hanok, he paused for a moment in thought.
"Hmm."
He had overheard the entire contents of the letter.
That letter would likely never be sent.
The old woman's condition seemed to worsen by the day.
'It's her will, then....'
After a brief hesitation, he spoke.
"Let's go."
"Mm-hmm!"
He planned to put Seol to bed, then return.
To deliver the letter Seol had written...
On her behalf.