Episode 28

"Did you run away from home?"

"..."

"I once ran away from home too, you know? But after about three days, I used up all my allowance and starved... Then I started craving the stir-fried sundae from our neighborhood. So, I went back home."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"I'm just saying that the stir-fried sundae in our neighborhood is amazing. You should try it sometime. They come here every week to sell it."

"Whatever."

The notion of returning home due to a longing for sundae seemed increasingly absurd to Hyun as he mulled it over. Eventually, he couldn't suppress a chuckle and inquired.

"Are you going to report me?"

"Report you where?"

"To the authorities, for running away."

"I never said I would?"

"..."

"Even if I did, they wouldn't take it seriously. And even if they insist you return home, you'll only comply if you feel like it. Besides, you're twenty, so just get a part-time job. Let me give you advice as your senior on this topic. The newspapers are surprisingly warm."

"Who is this beggar you think you're talking to? I have money."

"Oh, then I guess you'll just buy a high-quality newspaper."

At the sound of the woman's laughter, Hyun exasperatedly turned his head back. He spotted petite hands arranging flowers in the dim light.

"Still, your family must be worried. When I returned, my father scolded me severely. My younger sibling cried and made a fuss. Eventually, the three of us embraced and cried together. Then we savored stir-fried sundae through tear-swollen eyes. It was delicious."

The mention of 'family' caused Hyun's brows to knit involuntarily.

"Why did you flee if your family was so supportive?"

At Hyun's sharp query, a moment of silence followed.

"...It wasn't exactly ideal. My mother had an affair and divorced."

"..."

"Perhaps that's why, well... I felt a profound emptiness inside. Adolescence was turbulent. I started to believe my family didn't want me, so I ran away. It took our tearful embrace to help me realize."

Hyun fell silent for a moment before speaking again.

"I'll never marry. I won't have a family."

"..."

"Even if I did marry, I'd never have children."

The suffocating ties of the Choi family had to end with him. Hyun clenched his fists as if declaring his resolve.

"Aren't you too sure? Life is unpredictable."

"What could change? I'll simply grow old and die alone."

"What if you meet someone you deeply love, and they desire children? Life can surprise us."

"If I don't love, it's simple."

"...You're pretty simple-minded."

Certainly! Here's a refined version with enhanced vocabulary:

Eventually, the woman shook her head in resignation, as if conceding the conversation.

"I'm quite the opposite of you. Watching my biological mother only strengthened my resolve not to follow her path."

"..."

"If I ever have a child, I want to provide them with a happy family. I'll cherish my husband, shower them with love, and never... I'll never reject my own child."

Her voice quivered slightly towards the end. After a brief silence, she abruptly stood up from arranging flowers.

"Anyway! The future is unpredictable. People change, and you might end up a father someday. I might become a graceful and nurturing mother."

"...I'd wager my entire fortune that won't happen."

"That's funny. Well, I'll come to collect it someday, so be prepared."

"Yeah, come before I die."

A faint smile flickered on Hyun's lips, but a sharp pain soon shot through his body, making him wince. The wounds from the altercation and the effects of alcohol suddenly made him drowsy, and his eyes began to close. Just then, the woman spoke again.

"Still, how could you have chosen such an incredible time to lie here? Views like this are rare, even a few times a year."

"...What?"

Certainly! Here's a revised version with enhanced vocabulary:

"The dandelion field. Most people visit during the day, but it's truly enchanting at night. That's why I come around this time every year."

After glancing at her watch briefly, the woman murmured.

"The streetlights should turn on soon... Ah!"

Just then, the streetlights flickered to life, prompting a small gasp from her. At the sound, Hyun instinctively turned to gaze at the field of flowers.

Countless white dandelions swayed gracefully under the illumination. The radiant scene, accentuated by the streetlights, widened Hyun's eyes which had been gradually closing.

"How is it? Isn't it beautiful? You can't purchase a sight like this; it's only visible at this time of year."

"..."

Dandelion seeds drifted into the breeze as the woman and Hyun silently observed the spectacle.

"As I mentioned earlier, I'm not here to persuade you to return home... But if you continue to live in exile, you'll miss out on serene moments like this. That would be a regret, don't you think?"

"...What regret? You can buy things like this."

"Some things money can't buy."

"And what are they?"

"There are. Look, right in front of you."

The final flickering streetlight illuminated above the woman's head, revealing her radiant smile. Witnessing her broad grin, Hyun raised an eyebrow.

"Me! You can't buy me with money!"

"..."

"So, if you want to see me in the flower field at this time of year, you have to come in person."

"I'm going to sleep."

"What? Are you ignoring me? Why do you act like this, after so many... Wait, are you really going to sleep here?"

"Yes. I'm going to sleep, so don't call the cops."

"At least sleep on a bench or something... Wait, hold on!"

Sleep had already overtaken Hyun. The one keeping him from fully dozing off was the woman in front of him.

It was strange. His body was slowly dipping into sleep, but his mind wanted to stay awake a little longer.

What's this about not being able to buy something? He thought she was just some girl blowing dandelion seeds in the middle of the night, but...

Yet, despite her nonsensical words, Hyun's lips curled into a slight smile. Although he was lying on cold, hard ground, and his body ached from overdrinking and fighting, somehow his heart felt a little lighter.

---

How long had he slept? When the sunlight poured over his eyelids, Hyun woke up. To his surprise, he found himself lying on a bench. Realizing this, he shot up immediately.

"..."

Hyun grasped his head, grimacing from the hangover and the ache of his wounds. Surveying his sprawled-out form on the bench, only then did he recollect the events of the prior night.

Yes. He had certainly gotten into a brawl while drinking, then ascended the hill, and after that...

The excessive drinking had left his recollections of the night fragmented.

The faint memory he retained was when he lay in the flower field a woman approached him, and they exchanged a few words.

But what did they discuss?

He recalled that the conversation had been somewhat amusing, but the specifics had since faded from memory.

Yet, something lingered in his mind. The myriad seeds drifting on the breeze under the streetlights, and the woman laughing amidst them.

But what did she look like?

Unable to recall more, Hyun instinctively clutched his forehead. Just then, someone approached him from above.

"Are you okay? You seem quite injured."

"..."

"I covered you with my coat for now. We should get you to the hospital..."

"Is it you?"

"Pardon?"

"...What's your name?"

"I... My name is Han Soo-ah."

Upon Hyun's inquiry, Soo-ah's widened her eyes, and he regarded her intently. This marked the first encounter between Hyun and Soo-ah.

---

Though more than a decade had passed, the hill remained familiar. Hyun quickened his steps as he ascended the path and approached the summit. He glanced at his watch and noted there was still time.

Yes, this is it.

Here was where he first met Soo-ah and occasionally returned to go on dates. The place where myriad dandelions thrived abundantly. Hyun stood there, quietly absorbing the sight of the blossoming dandelions.

"..."

However, being here did not alleviate the turmoil in Hyun's mind. Instead, it deepened his confusion regarding his marriage with So-jung.

Why did I choose this path? What kind of person had I become over the years?

Did he continue to frequent this place after marrying? If so, what emotions accompanied his visits?

These ponderings, each leading to another, began to overwhelm Hyun. It felt almost absurd to interrogate himself in this manner, but it was his only means to comprehend his past decisions.

Why did I devote my heart to her instead of Han Soo-ah...

As Hyun contemplated, night descended. Instinctively, he turned his head towards the flower field. Just then, the streetlights lining the field flickered to life, casting their glow on the pristine white dandelions before him.

The flower field remained unchanged. The hill's landscape appeared familiar, and Hyun felt as though, at that moment, he hadn't changed either. The sole difference was the figure approaching the flower field. The streetlamp's light illuminated her face distinctly.

"..."

The woman was So-jung. In that instant, their gazes locked.

---

It's all bubbly and sweet til they mention Soo-ah... lord help me ~Jela

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