CHAPTER 01
A familiar man stood in an unfamiliar place.
“Ugh!”
Chohee, eyes wide, pressed both hands to her mouth.
She had called the man before her by many names.
At first, she had called him a “shameless man.” Or if not that, a “lecher.” The title she thought would never change in her lifetime had, after their secret agreement, taken an unexpected turn.
In an instant, the “shameless man” became her “husband.”
It had been just a contract, but he became family. Slowly, like rain soaking the collar of a garment, he became the person Chohee trusted most.
Until she discovered his true identity.
The last name she called him was “traitor.” And so, Chohee ran away. From the lecher, from the traitor, and…
From her own husband.
Yet here he was, appearing again when she thought she would never see him.
“Ho-how are you here…?”
Chohee froze. The man, too, seemed caught off guard, a look of surprise flickering across his sculpted face.
“Why are you here? There should be our allies in this room…”
Realizing her mistake, Chohee quickly bit her lip.
What a foolish slip!
She had almost spilled information in vain. Was her mind clouded by seeing him after so long? She pressed her lips harder, trying to swallow the sigh that threatened to escape.
“Forget what I just said—”
“Wife?”
Before Chohee could even finish speaking, a low voice cut between them.
“Wife…”
Hearing that title after three months, Chohee nearly lost her strength and almost sank to the floor.
He took a step closer to her.
And he spoke each word deliberately, slowly.
“Are you really… my wife? Being here means…”
Before he could finish his sentence, loud footsteps echoed outside the door. Japanese voices followed.
“This way!”
The police were searching for Chohee.
She had barely managed to escape, and yet of all places, she had hidden exactly where this man was. There was no choice. This was no time to be picky. Chohee looked up at him.
“Dowoon—”
The moment she called his name, Dowoon snatched her wrist.
“Ahh—!”
Chohee couldn’t finish her words and tumbled helplessly into his arms.
She closed her eyes, bracing for impact against his chest, but to her surprise, gentle arms wrapped around her instead.
In a fluster, her arms went around his neck, and she ended up sitting on his knees. She had tried to regain her balance but was effectively held in his embrace.
Though he had pulled her, it looked as if she had leapt onto him first.
“L-let go of me!”
“Shh. If you don’t want to be noticed, stay quiet.”
Dowoon raised a finger to her lips.
“Stay still.”
Whispering, he grabbed the hem of her skirt and lifted her slightly, revealing her pale thighs.
The sudden touch made Chohee gasp. Before she could speak, Dowoon pulled her tightly into his chest. His firm arms trapped her; she couldn’t move.
“Shh.”
Like soothing a child, Dowoon exhaled softly. Chohee had no choice but to bury her face in his chest.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Dowoon’s heartbeat echoed in her ears. His hand on her neck burned with warmth.
The familiar scent comforted her despite everything.
Damn. She had run so hard, only to end up in the same place.
Again, she was in his arms.
Bang!
The door burst open, and Chohee squeezed deeper into Dowoon’s embrace.
Praying fervently that this traitorous ex-husband would save her.
Six months ago
Tap, tap, tap—
The sound of shoes echoed on the wooden floor of Simpson Hall.
Creak—bang!
Finally, a door was flung open in a hurry.
“You should knock before entering, Miss Seong.”
The middle-aged white woman didn’t look up as she scolded the woman who barged into her office.
“Is it true the school is closing, Dean Frey?”
Only then did Dean Frey look up at the tearful voice of the woman in front of her.
It was Seong Chohee.
Her hair curled in the American style, her tailored outfit neat, she was strikingly beautiful. Among the many Korean women Dean Frey had seen, Chohee stood out.
Frey remembered clearly the day they first met.
“Amazing. A Korean girl mastering English this well on her own. How?”
“There were books by Westerners at home.”
“Was your father an interpreter?”
“…Yes.”
Impressed by her diligence, Frey had hired her. For three years, Chohee taught children faithfully, never missing a day.
With the school closing, Chohee would lose her job too.
“What about the students who have nowhere to go? Dean, please don’t close the school!”
Her concern for the students outweighed her own. Frey replied calmly.
“We cannot overturn the Governor-General’s decision. Since our students were involved in the March First Movement, there’s nothing we can do.”
“But Dean—”
“I will be leaving soon.”
“Leaving…?”
The news stunned Chohee. Her heart ached, but there was nothing she could do. She had to find her own path.
“Alright, Miss Seong. One request—will you promise me?”
“Of course.”
“Do not be swept away by the times. Do not lose yourself. Survive. If you survive, spring will come.”
Chohee nodded, swallowing her tears.
“I will, Dean.”
After losing her job, Chohee felt as if the world had collapsed.
The despair of being separated from her beloved students and colleagues was heavy, but the greater worry was money.
“Before the times swallow me, I might starve first, Dean Frey.”
Sitting on the dusty streets near Sungnyemun, she sighed. Crowds and carts raised clouds of dirt that mirrored her future.
“How can there be no work after a whole month of searching?”
She tilted her head back, seeing the blue sky.
“The weather is good… my heart is stormy.”
She had searched tirelessly, every street inside the city gates. Yet she found nothing.
“Working in a restaurant, what does crooked language have to do with it?”
“We just need strong laborers. Look at her arms—she’s all bones. How can she work like that?”
No one wanted a Korean woman.
Only scammers or madams at gisaeng houses expressed any interest.
She even pleaded with her older brother.
“It’s alright, Chohee. I’ll earn the money. At this point… maybe marriage is best. You’re already in your mid-twenties.”
But she stayed silent. Marriage? When the country had fallen?
Her family was her older brother, Chihun. That alone was enough.
Exhausted from waiting, she saw a familiar face in the crowd and smiled brightly.
“Brother!”
Her brother, six years older, shared her large, expressive eyes. But today his face was unusually dark.
He grabbed her wrist without greeting and urged her along.
“Brother, what’s going on?”
“Don’t ask, just follow me.”
The faint smell of gunpowder clung to his hand. Chohee’s face hardened.
“Brother… what’s that smell?”
He didn’t answer. Could it be… a gun? Panic rose.
No, he wouldn’t. He promised never to take part in such dangerous endeavors. It couldn’t be a gun.
“Brother, where are we going?”
Finally, she understood. They stopped at Namdaemun Station, the largest in Seoul, where trains ran south to Busan and north to Sinuiju.
He pulled out a train ticket and a note from his pocket.
“The note has an address. Go there; I’ll come for you.”
“Wait, suddenly go where?”
“Sinuiju. Take it.”
Sinuiju, at the far north of Korea. Chohee’s eyes widened, confused.
“Why Sinuiju? What’s going on?”
“No time to explain. Police are at our home. You must leave.”
Her face went pale at the words.
“Search everywhere!”
The echoes of police from years ago returned. And the image of students being dragged away for participating in the March First Movement only weeks ago made her stomach churn.
“Police? Why…? Why would they come to our house? We’ve done nothing wrong! Brother, what’s happening?”
“No time, Chohee. Every moment counts.”
She clutched his hand, trembling. He pulled away.
“First, take the train.”
“I won’t—until you explain—”
“Hurry!”
Pushed by his firm hand, she boarded the train alone. Chohee’s sorrow swelled as she saw him watching her from outside.
“Brother! You must follow on the next train…!”
The train roared to life, taking her away.
“First class? Where did the money come from…?”
She went to the first-class compartment filled with Japanese passengers. Unlike the open seats, it had partitions.
At least she could move unseen. Slowly, tension eased. She sat down, closed her eyes, and hoped that when she woke, it would all be over—or her brother would be beside her, as always.
Perhaps closing her eyes for a moment made her fall asleep. Stirring sounds woke her gently.
Outside the window, vast fields stretched out.
Where was she? She blinked and looked around.
And she couldn’t help but cover her mouth.
A stranger sat directly in front of her.
