Chapter Text
Seol Yoona had never thought her top-tier teaching degree would land her in a place where cell service barely scraped through the mountain ranges.
“You’re kidding me. They sent you to Hyeonjang?” Jiwoo’s voice jumped an octave on the other end, momentarily lost in the familiar jingle of a convenience store’s automatic door.
Yoona wedged the phone between her shoulder and ear as she tugged hard to drag her suitcase out from the undercarriage of the coach. The wheels scraped against the cement with a dull, grinding thud. As she straightened up, a blast of mountain air rushed down her collar and brought a sharp chill along with the damp, raw smell of earth.
“It’s way deeper than that.” Yoona corrected her friend. “A village called Songyeon. Four and a half hours from Seoul on the bus, then another half hour on the village shuttle. And if you miss that one…” She let her sentence hang as she surveyed the empty parking lot before her. The supposed bus stop was just a rusty iron pole with a faded plastic sign dangling from it. “…You’re stuck with a fifty-minute walk.”
Jiwoo went quiet for a long stretch, probably trying to figure out just how far that was, or maybe she was just speechless. “Are you filming some kind of healing reality show out in the boonies?”
“I wish.” Yoona switched the phone to her left hand and pulled her suitcase forward. She wore a beige windbreaker with her shirt buttoned all the way to the top and her hair tied low at the nape of her neck. The outfit had looked perfectly put-together in Seoul, but here, with freshly plowed paddy fields lining both sides of the road, a white egret stood frozen on the ridge and stared at her like she was some alien creature.
She had received her transfer order two weeks ago. While most of her classmates got placed in schools around Gyeonggi or Incheon, the name following hers was a place she had never heard of. The department head had sounded perfectly calm over the phone as if he had no idea he had just dropped a bombshell on her. “New teachers all need to go down to the local level to gain experience. Songyeon school is short-staffed so you’ll fill that spot. It’s only for a year, it’ll fly by.”
One year. Yoona muttered a curse under her breath, unsure if her patience could stretch far enough to survive this year.
Fortunately, she caught the bus after waiting for just five minutes. Once she got off, she walked along the two-lane cement road for another five minutes before the village proper came into view. Houses were scattered along the foot of the mountain, mostly old tiled-roof homes mixed with a few modern ones clad in ceramic tiles. At the entrance of the village stood a small grocery store where stacks of soju boxes piled up by the door, and a golden dog lay curled up on the steps dozing off.
Yoona stopped in front of the store and pulled out her phone to check the address. 126 Songyeon, but there wasn’t a single house number to be found anywhere.
While she hesitated over whether to go inside and ask for directions, an elderly woman pulled back the plastic curtain and poked her head out.
“Oh, who’s this? You look new.” The old woman squinted at her. “Ah, right, you must be the teacher coming to our school, aren’t you?”
Yoona was caught off guard but felt a wave of relief that someone had reached out first. “Yes, I’m Seol Yoona.”
“Oh my, so young, and pretty too.” The old woman gave a toothless smile and waved her inside. “The principal told us a few days ago that a teacher from Seoul was coming down. Your place is all set up, right in the alley behind the school. Just one turn and you’re there. I’ve got the keys. Come on in, have a cup of water first. You must’ve had a rough trip.”
Yoona thanked her and took the glass of water. The cup was old plastic, printed with the name of some long-gone election candidate. She took a sip—she was never big on plain water, but after that long journey, it tasted incredibly refreshing.
“Does the school have many students?” She asked.
“Not many. Counting the new ones this year, maybe fifty or so.” The old woman rumbled through a drawer looking for the keys. “There’s only a handful of teachers here, so the kids get attached real quick. We had a teacher who stayed for years, but he retired last year, and the little ones cried their eyes out. They were bouncing off the walls when they heard a new teacher was coming.”
The elementary school in Seoul had nearly thirty kids per class. Maybe teaching here wouldn’t be too exhausting.
The old woman finally found the keychain, held together with a rubber band, a scrap of paper reading “Teacher’s Dormitory” taped to it. Yoona took it, left her luggage at the store, and headed over to check out her new place.
The so-called teacher’s dormitory turned out to be a small standalone house, looking no different from the local homes. Gray tiled roof, white walls flaking with age, a tiny patch of dirt out front that passed for a yard, with an apple tree standing in the middle. Inside turned out better than she had expected—a bedroom, a tiny kitchen, and a bathroom with a shower. The furniture looked dated but everything was quite clean. The window faced east, offering a view of the rolling mountains in the distance.
She stood by the window for a long while before remembering to text Jiwoo back. The signal here was better than it had been on the coach, showing three bars now, so sending messages was easy.
“I made it. It’s... much quieter than I thought.”
Jiwoo seemed highly invested, given how she replied instantly.
Jjyu: “Quiet’s good! Seoul’s loud as hell. By the way, are there any young people around? What about your coworkers?”
Yoona thought about it.
“I think I’m the only new teacher who’s transferred here. Everyone else is local.”
Jjyu: “You’re gonna die of boredom.”
“Probably.”
After texting back, Yoona went to fetch her luggage and began unpacking. She hung her clothes in the wooden wardrobe in the corner and laid out a fresh outfit on the bed. The room was so dead silent that she could hear birds pecking at the fruit on the tree outside. She told herself it was just one year and figured she might as well treat it as an experience.
The next morning, Yoona showed up at the school by seven. Songyeon school apparently had not spared any expense on its front gates. The gates were carved with the school emblem, and a stone monument next to them engraved the founding year. As she got closer, she found the gates open, and three kids were already playing marbles in the schoolyard.
“Good morning, teacher!” One of the boys spotted her and stood up straight, bowing politely.
“Good morning.” Yoona returned the greeting.
The other two kids scurried over, tilting their little faces up to look at her. Their eyes held a mix of curiosity and timid shyness.
A little girl with pigtails asked. “Are you our new teacher? What subject will you teach us?”
“Korean and math.” Yoona squatted down to meet their eyes. “What grade are you in?”
“Third grade!”
“I’m in second!”
“I’m the oldest, I’m in third grade too!”
The three kids answered over each other, their voices bubbling with laughter. Yoona couldn’t help but smile. It was the first time she had smiled since arriving in Songyeon.
The principal was a man in his sixties named Choi. His hair was graying, but his eyes were sharp and lively. He gave Yoona a tour of the school. It was a building with seven classrooms, but only five were in use. The other two were packed with old desks and chairs. Behind the main building were the teacher’s office and the student cafeteria, plus a small playground with artificial turf.
“The workload isn’t too heavy, but the kids’ levels vary, so just take your time.” Mr. Choi said as he handed over her schedule. “Is the place to your liking? If you need anything, just let Mrs. Park know. Her son runs a shop in town so he can pick things up for you. Don’t be shy.”
Yoona nodded, folding the schedule into her bag. She noticed a map of Songyeon hanging on the wall, with red circles marking students’ homes, the village head’s house, the police station, the clinic...
“Where’s the clinic located?” She asked.
“Turn right outside the school gates, walk down the road for about ten minutes and you’ll see a white two-story building.” Mr. Choi paused. “There’s a young doctor named Bae Jinsol. She went to university in Seoul and came back two years ago. If you ever need help, just go see her. She’s around your age.”
Yoona listened but didn’t pay much attention, just murmured a quick “okay.”
The first week of classes was so busy that Yoona barely had time to think about anything else. The school might have had few students, but each grade was at a different level of progress, requiring at least five different lesson plans.
Friday afternoon, after the last class ended, Yoona stayed in the office to grade assignments. Principal Choi had gone to town for a meeting and the other teachers had left to prepare dinner for their families. The sky was darkening, since winter in the mountains brought nightfall much earlier than in Seoul. It was only five-thirty, but the light was already beginning to wane.
She headed for the school gate after grading the last workbook. The wind was strong today and whipped dust into her face, forcing her to squint as she walked. After a short distance, she remembered that part of the road leading to her place had no streetlights.
A flicker of anxiety crept in. Just then, a white SUV pulled up beside her from behind. It moved slowly, letting out a quick honk as it drew near. The window rolled down to reveal a face she had never seen before.
It was a woman who looked under thirty, with shoulder-length hair, wearing a black shirt under a grey Adidas jacket. She tilted her head slightly to look at Yoona, letting a slow smile spread across her face, her tone carrying a hint of something less than proper.
“Are you the new teacher?”
“Yes.” Yoona kept walking, hoping she wasn’t about to deal with some creep.
The car continued to crawl along beside her at walking speed. “Hop in, the wind is terrible. I’ll give you a ride.”
“No thanks, I’m almost there.”
The car kept rolling alongside her, and the woman inside kept leaning her head out the window to talk.
“Your place is in the alley behind the teaching building, right? That’s still a good seven or eight minutes’ walk. Hey, come on, I’m not a creep. I’m the doctor from the clinic, Bae Jinsol.”
The name sounded familiar—this was the doctor the principal had mentioned. Yoona’s steps faltered, and she stopped to look at the woman.
Up close, she noticed Jinsol’s slight bunny teeth. Her large, bright eyes stared at Yoona, making her feel a bit self-conscious, so she looked away.
“Here’s my driver’s license, see? I’m not a creep.”
Still sensing Yoona’s distrust, Jinsol spoke while rummaging through her bag. She pulled out the card right on cue. Yoona glanced at the name and the ID photo, confirming it was her. Before she could speak, the driver cut in rapidly.
“Do you believe me now? Or do you need to see my medical license t—”
“Alright, alright.” Yoona interrupted helplessly. She had never met anyone so eager to prove their credentials. “I believe you. The principal mentioned you. But I already said I don’t need a ride.”
Jinsol raised an eyebrow, dropping the matter. She parked the car, unbuckled her seatbelt, and stepped out. She stood slightly taller than Yoona, and her sudden approach caught Yoona off guard.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing. Just felt like a walk.” Jinsol shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and fell into step beside Yoona. Her white sneakers made crisp, light sounds on the pavement. The wind tousled her short hair, but she didn’t bother to smooth it down.
Yoona was somewhat speechless, looking from the woman to the abandoned car. “Don’t you have a car?”
“It’ll be fine parked there. I can walk back.” Jinsol lowered her head to look at her. Given the height difference, the angle made her expression look somewhat teasing. “What? You just said you believed me but now you’re scared? Are you that much of a chicken?”
“I’m not a chicken.” Yoona shot back. “It’s just unnecessary.”
“How is it unnecessary? Look at yourself.” Jinsol pointed toward Yoona’s wind-blown ponytail and her squinting eyes. “The wind’s this strong and you’re walking alone. I just couldn’t stand to watch.”
Yoona bit the inside of her cheek, holding back a retort. She couldn’t say she wanted Jinsol to leave, because having company did make her feel less anxious. She quickened her stride, and Jinsol immediately matched her pace, always staying half a stride away.
They walked in silence for a few minutes. The fields on either side of the road had just been planted. The water reflected the darkening sky, while the occasional croak of a frog broke the quiet.
“From Seoul?” Jinsol broke the silence again.
“Yes.”
“Getting used to it yet?”
“So-so.”
“Be honest.”
Yoona looked at her. Jinsol met her gaze with an arched brow.
“Not really.” Yoona admitted with a sigh. “It’s too quiet here.”
“Is that all? That’s easy to fix.” Jinsol laughed out loud, thumping her own chest. “Come find me at the clinic. It’s never quiet there since old folks are in and out all day.”
“Having lots of patients is a good thing for a doctor, isn’t it?”
“It’s not that many and I don’t wish illness on them anyway.” Jinsol shrugged. “What I meant by not quiet isn’t the patients, it’s me. I talk a lot. I’ll corner anyone and chatter their ear off. If you’re bored, just come find me. Your arrival would be like a downpour after a drought.”
“Who even makes a cheesy comparison like that?”
Yoona couldn’t help but laugh, though it was short-lived as she quickly cleared her throat.
“You look beautiful when you smile.” Jinsol remarked, tilting her head to study her. “Don’t always look so sour.”
The gaze of this stranger wasn’t threatening, but it was too intense. Again, Yoona found herself at a loss for words. She simply turned away to watch the roadside weeds blur past. The loudest thing in her ears now was the rustle of the wind. She stole a glance, discovering that the other woman was still smiling to herself while watching her, which made her look away in embarrassment again.
They walked like that until the apple tree came into sight.
“We’re here, thank you.” Yoona pointed at the tree ahead.
A crisp voice called from behind. “Tomorrow’s the weekend, there’s a market in the village. Want to check it out?”
Of course not. Even in Seoul, Yoona had no interest in going out on weekends, preferring to just stay home and sleep in.
“No.”
“Then I’ll come find you tomorrow.”
“I said no.”
“I heard you. See you tomorrow.”
Jinsol waved at her before turning back the way they had come with light, dancing steps. Her jacket faded into the twilight.
What an oddball.
Yoona muttered before closing the door. She dropped her bag on the table and collapsed onto the soft mattress that had taken two days for the delivery service to get here. The shipping fee had been steep, but it was worth it—nothing beat the feeling of coming home and sinking into it.
She called her parents, a habit she had formed since her first day here. After the call, she scrolled through social media and replied to messages from friends. Everyone was curious about her life here, some even mentioned coming down to visit during their time off. Jiwoo was by far the most enthusiastic. She texted Jiwoo.
“There’s a doctor here who’s pretty weird.”
Jiwoo replied quickly as usual.
Jjyu: “Male or female?”
“Female.”
Jjyu: “Is she good-looking?”
Yoona lowered her phone to think about Bae Jinsol. To be fair, Jinsol wasn’t the type to stop traffic, but she had an excellent build. If she walked down the streets of Seoul, she would definitely get some looks.
Yoona just didn’t want to admit she had noticed that.
She typed and deleted several times, finally sending.
“Not bad.”
Yoona was still sleeping when she heard noises in the yard. Thinking it was the landlady, she threw on a jacket and went to open the door.
Jinsol stood there in a white sleeveless shirt and jeans, holding two plastic bags. Seeing Yoona, she flashed a wide grin, the morning sunlight filtering through the sparse leaves of the tree kissing her face.
“I brought you breakfast.”
With her hair a messy tangle and her eyes sleepy, Yoona found herself both speechless and amused.
“Doctor Bae, don’t you have anything else to do?”
“It’s Saturday, the clinic has half a day off.” Jinsol breezed past her into the house like she owned the place, setting the bags on the small dining table. “These are red bean buns from the town, and some soy milk. The shop grinds the soy milk themselves, it’s really thick. If you come here and don’t try these buns, you’ve wasted the whole trip.”
Yoona closed the door, smoothing down her messy hair. She blinked sleepily at Jinsol, who was busy taking things out. Jinsol pulled a pair of chopsticks from the holder and turned to the cupboard to find two bowls. Yoona’s sluggish brain took a moment to register something was off.
“Wait, how do you know where the chopsticks are?”
Jinsol poured the soy milk into the two bowls, the warm liquid sent up gentle wisps of fragrant steam.
“Mrs. Park told me. She came to the clinic for a shot yesterday and mentioned you. So I asked a few questions.”
Yoona sat down and took a bite of a red bean bun. The skin was soft, and the filling was aromatic without being overly sweet. It was a distinct flavor compared to the mass-produced ones she had eaten in Seoul.
Jinsol sat across from her, chin in hand, watching her eat with a squinty-eyed smile. Yoona, feeling self-conscious, slowed her chewing and shot her a glare.
“What are you staring at?”
“You just look like you’re enjoying it so much.” Jinsol smiled, pushing a bowl of soy milk toward her. “Did you eat like this back in Seoul too?”
The delicious bun and the fragrant soy milk awakened Yoona’s appetite. She ignored Jinsol’s question, just nodding as she continued to eat. Jinsol only took a few sips of her own, keeping her eyes glued to her most of the time.
“Once you’re done, shall I take you to the market?” Jinsol offered.
Yoona was about to refuse, but she realized she actually needed some daily necessities. Besides, being cooped up in this house alone wasn’t fun. She remembered her parents’ advice to socialize, to have people she could call on for help. For someone as introverted as her, making friends on her own wouldn’t be easy, but having an extroverted guide like Jinsol provided an excellent opportunity, even if she wasn’t sure she could pull it off.
“Let me freshen up and change first.”
“Wear something nice.”
Yoona looked down at herself, then glared at her. “Why do you care what I wear?”
Jinsol raised her hands in surrender, laughing innocently. “My bad. Wear whatever you like, teacher.”
Songyeon market was held in the village square, essentially a few long tables pushed together where locals sold vegetables, kimchi, eggs, and homemade tofu. It wasn’t crowded, but it was lively, at least by the village’s usual standards. A few middle-aged women spotted Jinsol and greeted her with loud laughs.
“Sol, who’s this with you? She’s so pretty.”
“She’s the new teacher. Yoona… wait, what’s your full name again?” She turned to Yoona.
“Seol Yoona.” Yoona added.
“Seol Yoona!!!” Jinsol announced to the vendors. “From Seoul!”
“Oh my, from Seoul!” Several aunties gathered around, firing questions at Yoona about her age, where she lived, whether she was adjusting well, and if she had a boyfriend.
Yoona was trapped in the middle, not good at handling such attention, managing only polite smiles while her neck stiffened. Jinsol stood a step away, watching Yoona get bombarded, and instead of helping, she laughed with delight.
Yoona threw her a look that could kill. Jinsol finally found her conscience. She stepped forward and slung an arm around Yoona’s shoulder. “Alright, aunties, don’t scare her. Teacher Yoona has thin skin, not like me.”
“Your skin’s as thick as it gets, always has been.” An auntie wearing a floral apron laughed.
Jinsol laughed heartily, unbothered, and steered Yoona along with her arm still around her shoulder. Yoona wanted to shrug it off, but Jinsol was so cheerfully chatty as she walked her forward that it felt rude, so she let it stay for a dozen more steps until Jinsol finally released her to crouch down and inspect some wild greens an old woman was selling.
“These are delicious.” Jinsol said, shaking a handful of bright green wild vegetables. “Buy some, blanch them, and toss them with seasoning.”
Yoona wasn’t familiar with this type of vegetable, but the green was beautiful. She leaned in to take a sniff, catching a fresh and clean scent. “But I don’t really know how to cook these.”
“I’ll teach you. It’s simple.” Jinsol turned to the old woman. “Auntie, give us half a kilo, please.”
The old woman smiled broadly, bagging the greens and tossing in two large onions as well. “A gift for you two. Young people need to eat more vegetables.”
Yoona reached for her wallet, but Jinsol had already handed over the cash.
“Let me pay for myself.” Yoona said.
“You can treat me next time.” Jinsol handed her the bag. “Come on, let’s check out the fish cake stall. Their soup is especially good.”
Yoona followed Jinsol around the market carrying the wild greens. She noticed Jinsol seemed to know everyone, as they stopped every few steps for her to greet someone. Thanks to Jinsol, she met several people and learned who to go to when she needed something. The walk turned out to be quite useful.
By noon, they stood at the fish cake stall, sipping hot soup and chatting. The fish cakes were skewered on bamboo sticks, the soup was made with radish and kelp, which tasted sweet and warming.
“You have a good appetite.” Jinsol chuckled, watching Yoona drain her second cup.
“I’m hungry.” Yoona chewed on her fish cake.
“Do you like the food here?”
Yoona nodded. The food was better than she had expected. “The red bean buns are good, the fish cake soup is good too. Not sure about the wild greens yet. I’ll try them tonight.”
“Then I’ll come over and help you cook tonight.” Jinsol seized the opportunity quickly.
Yoona realized she had been set up. “Doctor Bae, don’t you have work?”
“Full day tomorrow. I have time today.” Jinsol crushed her empty paper cup and tossed it into the nearby trash bin. “What, you don’t want me to come over?”
Yoona didn’t answer, taking her time to eat the last fish cake skewer. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Jinsol to come. This was her first weekend in Songyeon, and the thought of spending it alone in the empty house surrounded by endless mountains and only the sound of her own thoughts wasn’t appealing. Admitting she wanted company didn’t make her weak, it just made her human.
“Six o’clock, then.” She mumbled. “If you’re late, I’m eating alone.”
Jinsol’s eyes lit up, she flashed a thumbs-up. “Won’t be late.”
Back home, the heavy lunch made Yoona’s eyelids droop. After parting with Jinsol, she took another nap until nearly four. By the time she finished cleaning the room and doing a few chores, it was almost five-thirty. She went into the kitchen to wash rice, adding a bit extra for two people. Just as she was bustling around, her phone rang with a call from Jiwoo. As soon as she switched to the speakerphone, Jiwoo’s excited voice blared out.
Jjyu: “So? What are you doing this weekend? Staying in or going out?”
Yoona placed the phone next to the stove, chopping onions as she answered.
“Someone said they wanted to come over and make dinner.”
Jjyu: “Really? Who who who?!”
“Guess.”
Jjyu: “That doctor?”
“Yeah.”
Jjyu: “Wait, you’ve only known her for a day and she’s already coming over to cook?”
Jiwoo had a point. Yoona and Jinsol had known each other for just a few hours when Jinsol walked her home, bought her breakfast, took her to the market, and now she was coming over to cook.
On second thought, though, it didn’t feel strange, mostly because Jinsol carried an aura that made it feel like they had been close friends for ages.
Yoona heard footsteps outside, definitely not the landlady’s. She hurriedly hung up on Jiwoo’s curious questions and ran to the door.
Jinsol had changed into a grey shirt and carried a thermal bag.
“Am I late?” She checked her phone. “Five fifty-eight, not late at all.”
“Come in.” Yoona stepped aside to let her pass.
Jinsol set the bag on the table and unzipped it.
“My mom made these. Braised beef, stir-fried fish cake, and seasoned spinach. She said it must be hard for you here alone and told me to bring lots.”
Yoona was surprised, touched by their warmth. “Your mom already knows about me?”
“Of course she does, the whole village knows by now.” Jinsol took out each container and arranged them neatly. “You’re a celebrity here, you know. The pretty young teacher from Seoul. Single guys in town are practically readying their engagement gifts.”
Yoona laughed and swatted her shoulder. “Nonsense.”
“No nonsense.” Jinsol looked up at her, half-serious. “I already told my mom and she asked when I made such a pretty friend. I told her we just met, so she told me to invite you over for a meal sometime.”
Yoona watched Jinsol expertly tie an apron she had unearthed from somewhere (probably left by Mrs. Park), then open the fridge for a quick look.
“What have you got?”
“Eggs, onions, kimchi. And the bundle of wild greens you gave me this morning.”
“Perfect. Let’s make some wild green bibimbap.”
Jinsol washed her hands and began chopping more onions. Her knife skills weren’t flashy, but she moved decisively, slicing the onions into perfectly even pieces. Yoona was suddenly struck by a very strange feeling. She had been in this small mountain house for less than a week. She had been dreading loneliness, had eaten alone just yesterday. Yet today, someone stood in her kitchen chopping vegetables, using her bowls, opening her fridge, and helping her prepare a meal.
“Hello? Are you daydreaming?” Jinsol paused, looking at her. “Come help me wash the greens.”
Yoona snapped out of it and moved to the sink, washing each leaf carefully. They stood side-by-side in the cramped kitchen. Jinsol even nudged her on purpose a few times to earn a playful smack in return.
“I heard from the principal you went to school in Seoul. Why didn’t you stay there?” Yoona asked out of nowhere. With Jinsol’s medical degree from Seoul, she could easily have found a job there.
Jinsol put the chopped onions into a bowl. “That’s a rather philosophical question.”
“Just curious. You don’t have to answer.” Yoona pursed her lips.
“It’s not that.” Jinsol smiled. “My dad’s health wasn’t great before and my mom was running the clinic alone. I went to college in Seoul, did my internship there too so my family assumed I’d settle down there. But when my dad retired and my brother went off to college, my mom really couldn’t handle it all herself. So I came back.”
Yoona listened, not slowing her work. “Don’t you regret it?”
“Regret what?”
“More opportunities in Seoul, obviously.”
Jinsol missed a beat before her lips curved into a smile.
“When I first moved back, yeah, I kicked myself a bit.” She confessed. “Midnight would hit, I couldn’t buy a damn thing to eat. Friends were still hanging out in Seoul so my weekends were totally dead. But I got used to it.” Her grin spread wide. “Besides, the folks out here actually need me. Sounds like some cheesy government ad campaign, right? But it’s true. The elderly and kids here can’t travel all the way to the town hospital whenever they get sick. With me around, at least they get a proper checkup and a script.”
“That must be tough.” Hearing Jinsol’s side of things made Yoona view her own teaching gig as a breeze. Even if the village wasn’t big, being the only doctor was surely a heavy burden.
But… Jinsol didn’t look like it was a burden.
“It used to be, but two months ago, uncle Juheon’s son came back to work here too so that took a ton of pressure off me.” Jinsol’s quick explanation cleared things up for Yoona.
Yoona drained the washed greens and glanced over at her guest. The kitchen featured a harsh, old-fashioned fluorescent bulb that rarely did anyone any favors, yet Jinsol’s sharp features stood out beautifully and highlighted a crisp, clean profile.
“What?” Jinsol noticed her staring.
“Nothing.” Yoona averted her gaze. “Just… you’re not quite what I imagined.”
“Ehh? What did you imagine?”
“Super chatty, kinda lazy, not serious at all.”
Jinsol blinked in surprise before bursting into a roaring laugh that practically shook the tiny kitchen walls. “I won’t deny any of that. But you’re missing one thing.”
“Like what?”
“I’m a total sweetheart.” Jinsol dropped that line with a straight face, only to crack up a second later.
Yoona chuckled right along with her, her shoulders trembling slightly while she held the dripping vegetables. “Seriously, you are...”
“I’m what?”
“A total weirdo.”
“I’ll take the compliment.”
They finished cooking around seven, the small table laden with food. Yoona had flipped on the TV earlier just to drown out the silence, and though the evening news chattered away, neither of them paid an ounce of attention.
Jinsol ate modestly compared to Yoona, spending most of her time piling food onto Yoona’s plate. “Try this beef.” “Mix the rice like this.” like a devoted tour guide introducing local specialties.
Yoona chewed happily but noticed Jinsol barely touched her own chopsticks. “Aren’t you gonna eat?”
“Nah, just watching you eat makes me full.”
“Now you sound so creepy.”
“How is that creepy?”
“Like, stalker-level creepy.”
Jinsol wasn’t offended. If anything, she laughed so hard she almost slumped onto the table. “Teacher Seol, why do you always think I’m not a decent person?”
Yoona ignored her, focusing on her soup. Jinsol’s loud laughter made her feel like she was the funniest person on the planet. As Jinsol’s chuckles faded into a soft murmur right around her ears, that intense stare remained, causing Yoona’s cheeks to flush. She quickly blamed it on the steam rising from the hot bowl.
After dinner, Jinsol cleared the dishes. Yoona offered to help, but Jinsol shooed her back to her seat. “You’re the host, I’m the guest, guests wash the dishes for the host—wait, that’s backwards. Whatever. Just sit.”
Faced with Jinsol’s stubborn streak, Yoona could only sit back and watch her bend over the sink. The night had turned pitch black. The windowpane reflected the indoor light along with their shapes. She suddenly wondered what her Seoul crew would say if she told them she had been in this mountain village for less than a week and was already sharing a second meal with a random doctor who had literally marched into her house to cook. They would think she had lost it, just like Jiwoo did, since this didn’t fit the typical Seol Yoona playbook at all.
But it didn’t feel wrong. There was something about Jinsol that made everything seem perfectly natural—even having dinner with someone she had met just a day ago.
“All done.” Jinsol shook water off her hands. “I better head out. Got a shift tomorrow.”
Yoona stood up to see her off. The mountain night wind swept inside the moment she cracked the door, carrying a clean blend of fresh grass and damp soil. The stars were so numerous that they looked like salt scattered across black velvet.
“Wow.” Jinsol looked up. “So many stars tonight.”
Yoona looked up too. Having spent over two decades in Seoul, she rarely caught a glimpse of a night sky like this because the city glare always smothered the stars, or perhaps people were just too busy to look up. But out here, in a tiny village free of high-rises where streetlights barely functioned, the thick clusters of stars blanketed the sky, which left her totally mesmerized for a moment.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Jinsol looked at her.
“Yeah. It’s beautiful.”
“You can see them every night from now on. Free observatory.”
Yoona smiled silently, tracking the twinkling lights for another beat before Jinsol, who had already stepped a few paces ahead, broke the quiet.
“I’ll bring you lunch on Monday. I’ll drive over during my break.”
“Look, you don’t have to—”
“I want to.” Jinsol cut her off, her eyes were deep under the starlight, holding something Yoona still couldn’t read. “Don’t turn me down.”
Yoona parted her lips to protest, but ultimately sighed. “Fine. Suit yourself.”
Jinsol flashed a grin and waved before disappearing into the darkness. Her footsteps crunched on the gravel path until they faded.
Yoona walked back inside. The news had wrapped up, making way for an evening drama. The container of braised beef Jinsol had brought was still on the table, the beef tender and savory, with a faint sweetness. Yoona genuinely loved the dish, even though she had stuffed herself earlier, she had barely finished half. Jinsol had noticed her enjoyment and said. “My mom will be so happy you like it. I’ll have her make more for you.”
So now, not only had she shared two meals with a stranger, but she was eating food prepared by that stranger’s mother.
Yoona let out a long sigh.
This mountain village was turning out to be nothing like she expected.