Seoul, South Korea.
I walked out of the campus building with heavy steps, as if the weight of my thoughts slowed my every move. The afternoon sun, descending in the west, cast a warm light on my face—its warmth contrasting sharply with the cold memories of Grandma. The thought of whether she had ever truly been happy in her lifetime kept haunting me.
"Hey! Catch that woman!"
My daydream shattered instantly. I was about to lift my head to see who they were talking about when someone suddenly crashed into me. I lost my balance and fell backward, landing hard on the pavement.
The pain was quickly replaced by sheer astonishment. Right in front of me, just inches from my face, was the campus' most admired girl. The woman who had fallen with me accidentally leaned against my chest, sending my heart into an erratic rhythm. The scent of vanilla from her long, flowing hair filled the air around us.
"Jia! How many times have I told you not to run away from me?!"
"One hundred and sixty-five!" Jia replied cheerfully.
The other woman who appeared alongside her smacked her forehead. "I can't believe you're keeping count."
"Anyway, why do you keep chasing me?" Jia slowly got to her feet and extended her hand toward me, her fingers slender and graceful.
I didn't waste the opportunity. I grabbed her hand immediately. Her touch was so soft and I never imagined I'd be holding the hand of the campus queen herself. Jia was exactly my type, and I'd secretly had feelings for her for a long time!
"If you don't want to be chased all the time, then stop resisting," said the woman accompanying Jia, breaking our handshake.
I could only stand there in silence, still trying to process what just happened, when Jia was already being dragged away. I felt like a crane left behind at the shore, stunned and completely clueless about what to do next. The crowd around us slowly dispersed, restoring the quiet.
I gazed at the two women walking away. Jia turned back briefly, smiled at me, and winked.
My soul trembled!
I stared at my right palm, still feeling the lingering warmth of her touch. The faint scent of vanilla lingered in the air. A smile spread across my face, and a laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. I didn't care about the stares from the people around me—because today, Lee Jia held my hand!
With all the enthusiasm in the world, I raised my fist toward the sky.
"Lee Jia held my hand!" I shouted gleefully.
That day became the luckiest day in the life of an ordinary college student with a dull routine. Thanks to Jia, I finally understood the true meaning of excitement—just from seeing her smile.
***
I boarded the bus with my spirits soaring, Jia's image still vivid in my mind. Before I knew it, I had arrived in front of Grandma's house.
When I opened the gate and stepped into the yard, the cloudy sky made the empty house feel even gloomier. It had only been a week since Grandma passed away, but the place already felt eerily lifeless. I hesitated to go further, thinking I should've come in the daylight. But the rain began to fall, forcing me to take shelter inside.
With a sense of relief, I found the light switch and turned it on. The once-dark room lit up, revealing rows of framed photos along the wall—most of them pictures of Grandma and me, and a few with the tenants who used to live here.
Grandma had been a strong, independent woman who built her boarding house business from scratch. She sold her land and jewelry to keep it running. But her health had worsened, forcing her to shut down the business before she passed away. I'd heard that from the neighbors during her funeral.
Although Grandma only had me as her closest relative, I knew she longed for the attention of her children who lived far away. As an orphan who found love and shelter in her home, I considered myself truly lucky. She treated me like her own grandchild, even though I started out as just a tenant who eventually stayed rent-free.
Now, guilt and regret over leaving her alone in her final days weighed heavily on me. I vowed to continue her boarding house business as a way to make amends.
My thoughts were interrupted when I noticed smoke drifting faintly through the corridor. Alarmed, I rushed toward the kitchen, but no stove was on. A growing sense of unease led me to a room with the door slightly ajar, thin wisps of smoke curling out from the gap.
Carefully, I pushed the door open wider, only to freeze in shock at the sight of a woman standing under the shower. Her figure was barely visible through the rising steam, which I had mistaken for smoke. I swallowed hard, my legs suddenly refusing to move, trapping me in place as I stared at her in disbelief.
Our eyes met, and for a moment, time seemed to stop. In those few, agonizingly long seconds, the silence shattered with a piercing scream that made my ears ring. Everything happened in a blur. Before I could even think, her fist slammed into my cheek, knocking me to the floor.
"You pervert! You want to die?!"
I opened my eyes, dazed. The woman towered over me, wrapped only in a towel, her brows furrowed and her fists clenched.
"Tell me, who are you working for?!"
I wanted to explain, but the pain in my jaw made it hard to speak.
"F-for… Grandma…" I managed to mutter weakly before shutting my eyes again.
"What? Hey! Don't die before you answer me properly!"