Yom Sang-seop - Three Generations

Pil-sun slid open the door and rushed into the room, as if someone had shoved her from behind. She was furious, wondering how those women could act the way they did, even if only out of concern for their reputations.

Deok-gi’s drowsy eyes brightened, and a smile spread across his face. Pil-sun found more relief in being able to escape the chiding eyes than in Deok-gi’s smile.

“Are you feeling better today?” asked Pil-sun, seating herself in a corner.

“I’m much better now, but I’m worried about your father. How is he doing?”

Deok-gi was unaware how rudely Pil-sun had been greeted, and he studied her countenance carefully.

“He’s no worse, at least. My mother says I should express our thanks for your generosity.” Pil-sun herself invented the message.

“Oh, it was nothing.” Deok-gi sat quietly, struck by the unhappy air coming from the precious guest he had managed to bring over with such difficulty.

What happened? Has there been a misunderstanding because of something Byeong-hwa said to her? Regardless of Byeong-hwa’s tendency to speak his mind, he wouldn’t have said to her, He asked me to marry you.

“Are you on your way to the hospital?” Deok-gi asked, unable to think of anything else to say.

Pil-sun embraced his question as an excuse and hurriedly stood up, saying, “Yes, I’d better go right away.”

“Why are you so intent on leaving when you just got here? Please forgive me if I did something wrong,” Deok-gi said in a joking tone.

Only then did she flash a smile. “Oh, no, it’s not that!” Once again, Pil-sun regretted venturing into a place she shouldn’t have. Her anger had dissipated and, in despair, she was afraid of the humiliation she would have to endure if she wanted to maintain a friendship with this man.

“It will take only ten minutes. Please, sit down.” Deok-gi decided to forgo any more preambles and get to the point. “I heard things are going well at the store.”

“Yes. We’re doing quite well,” said Pil-sun as she sat down, her shoulders hunched.

“Do you enjoy selling things? Do you want to become a real businesswoman?”

Pil-sun gazed at him for a long time, perhaps because the question was difficult to answer. She managed to smile. Was this what he intended to talk about? Crestfallen, she felt like a fool now that her fantasy about going with him to Japan had vanished.

“It must be challenging work for you. You’re not a born businesswoman and. What I’m trying to say is that women — well, not only women — have an especially difficult time living alone. Our society is like that, you know.”

Pil-sun grew tense.

“To put it bluntly, I think it would be better if you could find someone who could be entrusted with your care. You’re going to get married eventually, so it’d be best if you decided, sooner rather than later, to settle down. ”

Shocked, Pil-sun dropped her head without even realizing it. Who did he think would marry her? Instinctively, she thought, If he had a really good potential bridegroom in mind, he’d want his sister to marry him.

When Deok-gi mentioned Byeong-hwa, Pil-sun felt as if she had been hit on the head. She grew dizzy as Deok-gi went on and on about something she couldn’t take in, until she heard him say, “Anyway, if it happens, it’d be satisfactory for Kim, and I’m sure you have no complaints, right?”

She wondered if he could be joking in order to gauge her feelings. She could never marry Byeong-hwa. And what about Gyeong-ae? She wanted to cut his excruciating counsel short. Pil-sun had never felt like marrying anyone, let alone Byeong-hwa, for whom she felt nothing, not even in her dreams, so the matter was not worth discussing. Byeong-hwa was no more than a friend to her, though Deok-gi may have been a better friend to him than she was. She also knew that Byeong-hwa didn’t have any special feelings for her.

“I don’t know what you think of Gyeong-ae,” Deok-gi rattled on, “but Byeong-hwa has become close with her simply because they work together. There’s nothing more to it. I don’t think she’s the type of person who’d be satisfied with quiet work in a shop or at home. On the other hand, if you consider Kim’s future and are willing to rescue him from the hard life he’s leading now, I think marrying him is the only way.”

Pil-sun just sat there, her head bowed.

“Of course, your parents must have their say, and perhaps it isn’t something I should get involved in, but I’m in a position to look at the possibilities from both sides, so I thought I’d ask your opinion first.”

“I don’t know,” Pil-sun managed to answer.

“Then I should approach your parents?”

Pil-sun made no reply. He didn’t think it meant that she was against the idea, so he took it up again from a different angle. “I’m not talking about this matter only for Kim’s benefit. I see that the shop is doing quite well, and I thought that if the two of you, well, not just the two of you, but your whole family joined forces, it could guarantee a good living.”

She didn’t say whether she liked the idea or not, though she now understood Deok-gi’s good intentions. He was concerned about his friend as well as her family’s livelihood. But there was no need to set Byeong-hwa up as her prospective husband, and besides, it was impossible to just ignore Gyeong-ae.

When a brief silence descended upon them, Pil-sun took the opportunity to take her leave. Nodding her head slightly she said, “I’d better go. Please don’t talk about it any more. I’ll. ” She couldn’t continue, her eyes welling up.

She was going to say that she’d take care of herself, but she couldn’t speak as she fought to suppress her sudden tears. From all that Deok-gi had said, one thing was clear: he had no romantic feelings for her, and it angered her to think that she had even entertained the idea. But she had no one to whom she could pour out her sorrow, and she was sure that this man had no idea how she felt about him.

Deok-gi was astonished by Pil-sun’s angry voice and tear-filled eyes. Knowing little about the psychology of young women, he was anxious. What had he said to offend her so?

“Please don’t take it the wrong way if I didn’t express myself well. I hope you’ll give my advice serious thought,” Deok-gi said, rising to his feet.

Pil-sun grew more frustrated and resentful. How could he not know how she felt? Perhaps he was feigning ignorance so that she would give up on him.

Pil-sun turned around to pick up her scarf, which she had almost forgotten, and was about to leave when the door suddenly flew open. Deok-gi’s mother blocked the way, though Pil-sun hadn’t heard her approach the room. Pil-sun felt her blood run cold. She stepped aside, closer to Deok-gi.

“After you take your medicine, you’d better lie down and look after yourself.” His mother seemed to be saying this for Pil-sun’s benefit, looking her up and down. Pil-sun was completely embarrassed. Moments ago, she was worried about crossing the veranda and walking through the yard under scrutiny. Now she didn’t know where to stand. Had there been a mouse hole, she would have scurried into it.

“What are you doing, Mother? Please go back to your room.” Deok-gi stood beside the humiliated young woman as if he were physically protecting her. He seemed prepared to shove his own mother aside if necessary.

“There’s no reason for you to go out. It’s cold outside. I’ll show your guest to the door. You should lie down.” She stepped aside for Pil-sun, saying, “I’m sorry, but please go. Come again after he gets better if you must.”

Pil-sun didn’t remember how she fled the house. She regained her wits only after having walked for some time. All that Deok-gi had said and witnessed was a haze. What was clear as she came to the edge of the veranda was the door of the other room opening a crack, and the face of a pretty girl peering out. She must have been the sister Deok-gi had talked about. Pil-sun was convinced that she must have struck the girl as a loose woman.