Chapter 15: Her Name – September 26 – November 16, 2024
Haewon was depressed. There was no getting around it. It had been two weeks since Mr. Kang had insisted she join him and his daughter for breakfast. He hadn’t spoken to her since. Every morning, he still walked his daughter to her classroom, but he didn’t enter it anymore. Only to pick her up in the afternoon. Even then, he stood in the doorway. Those glorious eyes never kissed hers again either.
Haewon’s own eyes had leaked more than one tear over the loss of those gorgeous, blue eyes. Many nights she had lain in bed revisiting the evening he had held her in his arms while she sobbed all her heartache out on his clean shirt. She still remembered the understanding she’d seen in his eyes that night. And something else. Something deeper. But she hadn’t seen anything in those eyes for two whole weeks. She missed those eyes. Even now, as she rode the elevator towards her floor, she was still thinking of them. And mourning the loss of them.
“Oh!”
A few moments later, Haewon heard a soft exclamation as she walked down the hallway towards her apartment. It drew her attention away from her own melancholy. She glanced up to see a girl juggling two bags of groceries and glaring at her key. Which was now lying on the floor in front of her door.
“Would you like some help?” Haewon offered.
The teenage girl, quite a pretty one, looked up at her. “Oh, that would be lovely! Yes! Thank you!”
Haewon smiled and stepped forward to pick up the key.
“I’m Haewon. I live right there. Just across the hall. Are you new? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
The girl nodded. “Hi. I’m Bada. I moved in about a month ago. I’m attending high school here. I’m from a little village about an hour away. My parents are renting me this apartment so I can finish high school in the city.”
“Ah,” Haewon smiled. “Welcome to Busan.” She slid the key into the lock and turned it. The door unlocked, and she turned the knob to open it. “After you,” she waved her new friend into the cramped apartment. She glanced around. “Oh, wow! This is much smaller than mine.”
Bada grimaced. “Yes. I believe this is known as the student special. It’s a total misnomer. There’s nothing very special about it, as you can see.”
Haewon sighed as she glanced at the tiny kitchenette. “I bet you can barely move in there.”
Bada nodded. “It works in a pinch, but I definitely miss my parents’ bigger kitchen at home.”
Haewon eyed her. “Are you doing anything tonight?”
Bada shook her head.
“Would you like to come cook in my apartment? My kitchen is much bigger than this tiny one. And I could use the company.”
Bada’s eyes lit up. “I would love to! Thanks! Let me just put a few groceries away, and then I’ll follow you. So, it’s okay if I bring my ingredients with me?”
“Absolutely!”
“Since you’re being so nice to me, I’ll share my dinner with you.”
Haewon smiled. Was she actually making a friend?
—
Haewon continued to see Bada most nights over the few weeks. They often cooked dinner together. Haewon could feel her spirit lifting just being in the presence of the younger girl. Haewon had never before had a close friend. Bada was a very sweet choice.
The two girls found they had much in common. They enjoyed the same music. They were both attracted to the field of mathematics. They even formed a habit of telling each other math jokes. They loved to laugh together.
Haewon also discovered that Bada shared her love of children. Bada was excited when she discovered that Haewon was a primary school teacher.
“Really? That’s my dream too! I want to teach second grade!”
Haewon grinned. “I think you’d make a fabulous teacher. Bada,” she asked suddenly, “how old are you?”
“I’m fifteen.”
Wow. She’s a baby.
“So you’re in your first year of high school?”
“Yep. I want to go to college here too.” The girl sighed, “I have so many more years of school before I get to teach.”
“You’ll make it. If I could do it, you definitely can.”
Furrowing her brow, Bada asked, “What do you mean?”
So Haewon had told her the long story. But she left out the gruesome details. Maybe in a few more months, she would tell Bada about Eunho and Gyeoul. But not today.
—
Haewon was returning to her apartment one evening when she first saw him. He was a strikingly beautiful boy. He was standing behind Bada as she turned the key in her lock. He was smiling faintly down at her. Haewon supposed he was a year or two older than Bada. But she was uneasy that the girl was about to let him into her apartment. Haewon knew only too well the trouble a girl could get herself into if she was too trusting. So she stopped to say hello.
“Bada! Who’s your friend?”
The girl glanced up at her. “Haewon! This is my friend, Bitgaon.”
Haewon greeted the boy.
“We attend the same school,” Bada explained. With stars in her eyes as she gazed up at him. The girl was clearly smitten.
Studying the sweet countenance of the young man, Haewon could see why Bada was drawn to him. Her heart felt a pang for Mr. Kang in that moment. Would he ever find his way back to her?
Bada chose that moment to glance up at Haewon. The girl disturbed a look of such intense sorrow in her friend’s gaze that she stopped breathing for a few seconds.
“Hello, Bitgaon. It’s nice to meet you.” Haewon glanced from one to the other. “Are you two hungry? I’m about to make some dinner. You’re welcome to join me.”
Bada looked up at Bitgaon, but she must have read something in his gaze because she shook her head. “Thank you, but Bitgaon is taking me out for pizza tonight.”
Haewon felt her heart sinking. She had the sad feeling that she was about to kiss her newfound friendship goodbye. She was being replaced by a boy.
“Oh. Okay. Have a good time.” She turned away.
Bada hadn’t missed her older friend’s disappointment. “Some other night, okay, Haewon?”
“Yeah, sure,” the woman murmured as she walked across the hallway.
Bada watched as Haewon disappeared behind her door. She almost ran after her friend, but then Bitgaon leaned towards her and whispered into her ear, “Are you going to show me your apartment?”
She smiled up at him and led him inside.
—
Haewon didn’t hear from her new friend all week, but several times she’d seen Bitgaon either entering or leaving Bada’s apartment. Haewon was concerned. Bada had no one to protect her. Was their relationship becoming too serious? Was she fooling around with that kid? Her questions made Haewon uneasy.
Seeing them together, it was clear to Haewon that Bada had fallen in love with him. And it was quite possible that he returned her feelings. He’d had the sweetest expression on his face as he’d gazed down at Bada. Still, Haewon was surprised that Bada had never mentioned him. They’d spent several weeks chatting nightly, but Bada hadn’t even spoken his name or talked about a cute guy. Haewon was a little hurt that Bada hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her new friend about her crush.
However, she didn’t have much time to ponder her disappointment. School was getting busier, and Haewon was gearing up for a class trip to the aquarium. The only problem was that she needed a parent volunteer. She had asked every parent except for one. And been turned down by all. She sighed as she approached her classroom on a Friday in mid-November. The trip was a week from today. She was going to have to ask him. Or cancel the trip.
She reached for the doorknob as a voice sounded behind her.
“Mrs. Wang.”
She froze. The melody of that voice surrounded her suddenly. It had been weeks since they’d spoken to each other. Since she’d heard that beautiful voice calling her name. She closed her eyes as her heart was suddenly pierced by a sharp pain. She felt a tear trying to form. She begged it to stop. She did not want to make herself vulnerable to him again.
“Mrs. Wang,” his voice sounded again. Louder.
She turned abruptly towards Mr. Kang. For just a second, he surprised a look of intense vulnerability on her face. He cringed at it. Had he hurt her that badly?
But she soon plastered a professional smile across her face. “Yes, Mr. Kang. Can I help you?”
“Dahui mentioned that you’re taking her class to the aquarium next Friday. I was hoping I could tag along. I’ve always loved visiting the aquarium. It’s something Dahui and I have done together since she was little.”
He was puzzled by the relief that rippled across her face. Had she been afraid he was going to bring up something else?
“Yes! That would be wonderful! Thank you, Mr. Kang! I was about to have to cancel the whole trip.”
“What?” Puzzled, he frowned. “Why?”
“I asked all the other parents, and no one could chaperone. I’m required to have at least one other chaperone when I take my entire class on a trip.”
He furrowed his brow. “Why didn’t you ask me?”
She stared at him. Rather than answer his question, she glanced around. “Where is Dahui?”
He grimaced. “She’s not feeling well today. That’s why I’m here. To get her schoolwork. I’m keeping her at home with me.”
“What’s wrong?” More concern than was warranted suddenly blazed in her gaze.
“She’s okay,” he rushed to reassure her. “I think it’s just a cold. She’s got a fever, and she’s complaining of aches and pains. But otherwise she’s okay. Just listless.”
“Poor kid,” Haewon frowned. “I wish I could stay with her and help her feel better.”
His eyes caressed the lovely surface of her face. And he realized just how much he had missed her over the past few weeks. Surely that was crazy, though. They had spent only two evenings and one very disastrous breakfast in each other’s company. But he had. He had missed her. He still missed her.
As he stood gazing down at her beautiful face, he was gripped by a burning desire to kiss those dark crimson lips until they blushed an even deeper shade of red. He blinked several times to try to dispel the desire, but it simply increased.
Haewon stared up at him. He had the strangest expression on his face. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought he was contemplating kissing her. She shook her head to banish such a nonsensical thought. The man didn’t even like her. Why would he be considering kissing her?
With a sigh, she turned away from him. “I’ll gather her homework for you. Please tell her I’m hoping she feels better before the day is over.”
As she moved, the air around her was disturbed, and the scent of vanilla invaded his senses once more. He longed to reach for her and pull her into his arms. He yearned to bury his nose in her hair and inhale that heavenly fragrance. To come home to a vanilla field. To wrap himself in her perfume. And never return to the stale air of his lonely existence.
He craved her countenance too. He imagined losing himself in her stunning, obsidian orbs. Then his gaze would travel lower. Beneath her adorable nose. To that sensitive mouth. He wanted to bruise her lips with his own. He desired…
Whoa! Myeong, get a hold of yourself, man! She’s Dahui’s teacher. She’s a very vulnerable woman who’s walked through a world of pain. The last thing she needs is you to…
To…what? Fall in love with her? Hold her? Kiss her? Make her feel treasured?
Those were probably all things she needed very badly. As his eyes stroked her long, dark tresses and his fingers itched to follow suit, he recognized that he had been drawn to her from the first time their eyes had collided. And he was sure she had been just as attracted to him. She had let down her guard and spilled her secret agony into his ears. And what had he done? He had withdrawn from her.
He must have hurt her so badly. That knowledge pierced his heart with a surprising agony. She had already experienced more than her fair share of pain; he didn’t ever want to be the cause of her heartache.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed suddenly, stirring those hairs to once more release a sweet cloud which embraced him with pleasure.
Startled, she stopped abruptly and turned towards him. He kept moving and ran into her. He reached out to grab her by her upper arms. In an effort to steady her. Her eyes grew round as she gazed up at him. Increasing her expression of vulnerability as well as his desire for her. He nearly bent his head and brushed his mouth across hers then.
“For what?” she whispered as her eyes probed the depths of his.
His hold on her loosened as soon as he realized she wasn’t going to fall. Then, his thumbs began to softly brush against the fabric covering her biceps.
Did he realize he was stroking her skin?
She did. He was sending a whole troop of tiny tingles down into it. Those tingles were embedding themselves deep. They seemed to be carrying flames of fire with them.
“For withdrawing,” he murmured as his eyes traced her lips.
Nervously, she licked those lips. “What?”
He bent his head then, and she was certain he was going to kiss her. Her heart leapt in her chest, and her stomach flipped over. But halfway to her mouth, he suddenly jumped as the door behind them opened.
They sprang apart, and Haewon exclaimed, “Let me get Dahui’s papers for you!”
Her heart hammering in her chest, Haewon crossed her classroom to find the papers in question.
For a moment, Myeong simply stared after her. Then he followed her as several students entered her classroom. He came to stand on the other side of the desk from her. A minute later, she was handing him a pile of worksheets. Their eyes collided. He held that gaze for several beats longer than necessary.
Those crystal blue depths were calling to her.
“Please tell Dahui I miss her.”
He nodded. And then he was gone.
—
That night, as Haewon lay down in her bed and closed her eyes, his cornflower pools floated up before her again. His face was so clear tonight. Far clearer than Eunho’s now.
Her heart emitted another pang. She felt like a traitor. To Eunho’s memory. But her heart was also craving Mr. Kang. The loneliness was becoming unbearable again. Having befriended Bada only to be once again brushed off had wounded Haewon more than she wished to recognize.
First, Mr. Kang had pushed her away. Now, Bada was ignoring her to pursue her own beautiful boy. It was only natural. But that didn’t stop it from hurting.
How many times would Haewon befriend someone only to have that person thrust her away again? Perhaps it was easier just to close herself off from the world. But she didn’t want to! She had spent her entire life locked in her own sad universe. She wanted the comfort of another soul. The embrace of another heart.
As she lay longing for things that seemed so out of her reach, silent tears slid down her temples.
—
In a bed not too far away, Myeong found himself in another dream. Once again, he was outside. In glorious sunlight. With a woman. At first, her laugh identified her as his late wife, Dahui. She turned her face to smile up at him. And a brilliant orange and black butterfly floated by her head.
“Myeong, you can do better than that! How are you ever going to woo a woman properly if you don’t become a poet? Don’t you know that all women want your words? The sentiments of your heart?”
“What if the sentiments of my heart aren’t all that interesting?” he rejoined.
She giggled. “Then you must make them so.”
He chuckled and reached for her. “I thought I already intrigued you. Even without my words.”
“Ah,” she responded as he pulled her into his arms, “but a woman needs to know you cherish her. Words are the best way to convince her.”
“But I’m a man of action,” he teased her before his lips found her own.
For several blissful moments, his mouth perused hers as gentle sunlight filtered through the trees overhead and a sweet, spring zephyr blew through their hair. Neither of them was oblivious to their environment. The serene scenery and the kind weather were adding to the preciousness of the moment. Myeong had always enjoyed kissing Dahui.
But, suddenly, the voice beneath his lips changed. Dahui’s deep chuckle was replaced by a higher-pitched giggle. The tone his ears drank in was clearer than his wife’s had been.
“Stop teasing me, Mr. Kang,” it murmured against his lips.
Shocked, he pulled away from her as his senses were enveloped by a familiar fragrance.
Vanilla.
He gazed down into eyes that were not a mellow chocolate but were instead shining like two ebony stones caught under the sunlight. He gasped.
Mrs. Wang!
She was grinning up at him now. And her countenance was so lovely that he couldn’t breathe anymore. His eyes drank in her deep crimson lips, the soft tip of her tiny nose, those long, midnight eyelashes that framed those compelling eyes. He sighed with pleasure for a moment.
But then the familiar guilt flooded him. He didn’t want to be unfaithful to the memory of his wife.
In the next instant, Mrs. Wang transformed into Dahui again. She was smiling at him.
“It’s all right, you know, Myeong.”
Puzzled, he frowned. “What is?”
“If you fall in love again.”
Stunned, he just stared at her.
“But you really must work on your poetry!” She was teasing him again. “Come, now! Tell me your best rhyme. About…” She glanced around. Her eyes landed on the butterfly which was now perched on a neighboring tree trunk. “…that beautiful creature right there. Compose me a poem, Myeong.”
She pulled herself from his arms and sat down on the ground before leaning against a different tree trunk. She closed her eyes. “I shall wait patiently right here while you work on it.”
He sat down next to her, his eyes drinking in her beautiful face. “I miss you, Dahui,” he whispered as a lump formed in his throat.
She glanced his way. “You don’t need to miss me, silly. I’m right here. You’re just stalling.” Her eyes speared him. “Myeong, you’re a born poet. You just haven’t figure it out yet. But you can’t fool me. I know there are many beautiful things hidden in your heart. Please…let them out! Share them with me. I want to see your beautiful heart, Myeong.”
He sighed as he stared at her. She seemed oblivious to the truth that she had departed his life long ago. But he found it impossible to deny her anything, so he complied with her request and opened his heart to her.
“Beautiful butterfly,
Why do you fly so high?
Think you can reach the sky?
Why, oh, why cannot I?
“May I borrow your wings?
Fly on those happy things?
Share the joy your flight brings?
Sing the song your heart sings?”
“Myeong! That’s breathtaking!” Dahui exclaimed as he finished reciting his poem. “You will definitely woo her with those words.”
“Who?” he breathed, but his heart had begun to pound in his chest, for he anticipated her answer.
“Mrs. Wang.”
He stared at his wife as she spoke again, “Your poem is just beautiful! Now tell her,” she commanded him.
He followed the line of her pointing finger, and his heart skipped a beat as he encountered Mrs. Wang’s great, midnight eyes. Her face was streaked with tears. He could see her, but somehow she was lost in a dreary world, under a threatening storm that had drenched her dark head. Great raindrops were mixing with her grief to slide down her cheeks. The golden sunlight of his own world wasn’t bleeding into hers. She appeared to be utterly alone. And completely forlorn. His heart bent towards her.
He turned to glance back at his wife.
“Go, Myeong! Go to her! I am your past, you know. She is your future. Run to her.”
Then Dahui disappeared. In an instant, she simply dematerialized. Almost as though she had never been there. But her echoes surrounded him. The light of her smile still embraced him. The love in her heart still enveloped him. Only now it urged him to share his own love with another lonely soul.
He pivoted towards Mrs. Wang. And was instantly struck to his heart by her palpable grief. In his absence, she had fallen to the ground and was bent forward as she keened in a loud, clear tone, her manifold sorrows spilling from her lips. He ran towards her and reached down to slip his arms around her. He hauled her up until she was safely enfolded by his embrace.
“I’m here,” he whispered into her ear.
She clung to him. Her sob was the last thing he heard as he woke up.
—
He wanted to go to her immediately, but it had occurred to him belatedly that he shouldn’t expose Mrs. Wang to Dahui’s illness. A heart transplant patient must be more susceptible to infections than other people. He didn’t want to make her sick.
Still, he didn’t want to wait to contact her. Even in some simple way. Her pain had been so palpable in his dream that it was real to him. He wanted to rush over and comfort her like he had that first night at his apartment.
As he lay in bed pondering his options, he realized he could text her. All the words of his dream poem suddenly flooded his consciousness again. So he picked up his phone and typed them out. Then he texted them to Mrs. Wang. He felt instantly silly and wondered why on earth he had just done such a thing.
—
She couldn’t sleep. She’d upset herself again. Mindlessly retracing all her pain of the last few months.
She reached for a Kleenex and blew her nose. As her eye fell on her phone, she saw it light up suddenly. Furrowing her brow in surprise, she picked it up.
Who would be trying to reach her this late at night?
She was pleasantly shocked to discover a text message from Dahui’s appa. Her eyes slid along the words as her heart comprehended their lovely meaning.
“Beautiful butterfly,
Why do you fly so high?
Think you can reach the sky?
Why, oh, why cannot I?
“May I borrow your wings?
Fly on those happy things?
Share the joy your flight brings?
Sing the song your heart sings?”
She stared in astonishment at the poem Mr. Kang had just sent her. Could the man read her heart? She didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. She felt like bursting into tears. But her heart was soaring on that butterfly’s wings.
Had he written this poem? For her? If so, why? If not, then why had he sent it to her?
Was it a mistake? Or a message sent in jest?
Perhaps Dahui had gotten a hold of his phone and texted it to her.
Yes, that made the most sense. The girl loved poetry as much as she did. She smiled as she texted the girl back.
“Dahui! What on earth are you still doing up, sweet girl! You should be resting! I want to see you in class on Monday morning. Happy and well.”
Then she texted her again.
“I absolutely adore this poem! Did you write it?”
An answer appeared almost instantly. “Yes, it’s mine.”
“It’s beautiful! Is there any more?”
“Not yet.”
“If you write any more, please share it with me! But right now, GO TO SLEEP, SWEETHEART!” This message was concluded with a red heart.
Myeong smiled as he read her messages. It appeared his daughter’s love of poetry had rescued him. At least, for the moment. He sighed with relief. It was easier to let Mrs. Wang believe Dahui had sent her the text message than to admit that he had sent her a poem. How was he to explain that impulse?
But now he wanted to finish the poem. So he lay in bed wide awake for over an hour composing more lines.
—
She awoke to two more stanzas in her text messages.
“May I soar high with you
On cotton skies of blue?
No matter what you do,
I want to be with you.
“May I share your laughter
In the great hereafter?
Want to hear your answer,
My sweet, little dancer.”
Haewon found herself smiling as she read through the lines. What a sweet gift for Dahui to leave her this morning! Haewon had awoken to joy today. After weeks of feeling lonely. She blessed the dear child for reaching out to her.
Mrs. Wang responded to her text with, “So beautiful! Keep going!”
She rolled from bed and began to gather the supplies she needed to prepare for school next week. As she worked, she found herself humming a happy tune. Along with that tune came some words. As she began to sing them, she realized something. Haewon picked up her phone and typed a message to Dahui.
“Your poem keeps revolving around my mind. Every time I read it, I hear an answering echo. Perhaps, a chorus to your song? Did you realize this poem is a song? I think it is. Here’s the chorus I keep hearing:
“Fly, oh, fly with me.
Choose to be happy.
Fly so high with me.
Let us just be free.”
Myeong smiled as he read her words. Apparently, he’d found the way to Mrs. Wang’s heart. Simply to write poetry and impersonate his daughter. Actually, he hadn’t been trying to fool her. Mrs. Wang had liked his poem before he’d ever led her to believe he was his daughter. She’d come to that conclusion all on her own.
Another text popped up. “Are you feeling better today, sweetheart?”
He smiled at the way she communicated with his daughter. That term of endearment. He found himself a little jealous of his daughter. She had clearly found her way into Mrs. Wang’s affections.
“Dahui is still sleeping, Mrs. Wang,” he replied.
“Oh! Hello, Mr. Kang. I just assumed that Dahui was using your phone again this morning.”
“How are you today, Mrs. Wang?” he asked.
“I’m doing quite well. Thanks to your daughter.”
“Oh?”
“Her poem greeted me this morning. Happily.”
“You liked it?”
“No. I LOVED it!”
He smiled to himself. She loved it.
“I’m glad. To answer your question, I think she’s doing better.”
“Feel free to let her text me as much as she wants. I feel like maybe I’m helping her recover – or, at least, fight off boredom – when we text. I’m glad I can do something to help her.”
He frowned. Now he just felt guilty.
“She’s really not doing that poorly. I didn’t send her to school because she had a fever.”
“Has it broken yet?”
“I don’t think so. I haven’t checked it today yet.”
He wandered into his daughter’s room. He set the back of his hand against her forehead. It still felt warm. He walked back to his room and fell back against his bed. Then he typed another text.
“She’s still warm.”
Haewon frowned. “I hope she feels better soon.”
“I’m sure she will.”
“I’m going to finish some projects for school, but she’s welcome to text anytime.”
“And I? Am I welcome to text anytime?”
She blushed as she read his words. Was he…was he flirting with her? She swallowed. No man had ever flirted with her. Not really. Gyeoul didn’t count because he’d been a predator luring her into a wicked trap. But Mr. Kang certainly wasn’t that.
So she sent one word that brightened Myeong’s day.
“Yes.”
He smiled at her response. “Have a good day, Mrs. Wang.”
“You too.”
She sat at her table working for several hours, but she couldn’t get Dahui out of her mind. Was the little girl really okay? It chafed her that she couldn’t do anything for her. But it was wisdom to stay away from people when they were sick, if possible. In this case it was possible, but Haewon didn’t like it.
Finally, she decided to do something about it. She had just recalled Dahui lamenting her father’s lack of cooking skills. Haewon headed out to her kitchen to see if she had the ingredients she needed. She did. So she got to work.
Several hours later, a knock resounded on his door. Myeong opened it a moment later. Happy surprise lit up his countenance.
“Mrs. Wang?! Why, hello!” But then he frowned. “You shouldn’t be here. I don’t want you to get sick. It’s problematic, isn’t it? Because of your heart?”
“It’s not ideal, but in most cases, I would recover. It just might take me longer.”
“Even so, I don’t want you to get sick. Let me join you in the hallway.”
She stepped back, and he shut the door behind him as he walked into the hall. Then he leaned back against his door. And she stared up at him.
The man was so beautiful. His midnight locks were scattered rakishly across his forehead. Those piercing blue eyes of his were probing hers. His pink lips were stretched into a generous smile. They parted as he spoke.
“To what do we owe this visit?”
She held up the bag in her hand. “I brought you some chicken soup and Yoojacha for Dahui. But there’s enough for both of you. Hopefully, for a couple of days. The tea is in a glass jar. It’s hot, so be careful.” She handed him the bag. She grinned ruefully at him. “I know you don’t like to cook, so…” She shrugged her shoulders. “And your chef is under the weather.” Her lips were still quirking upward in that endearing smile of hers.
He reached out to take the bag, and their fingers brushed. He glanced sharply at his hand as it curled around the handles of the bag. Dazed, he met her eyes again.
“Thank you,” he murmured. “This was very thoughtful of you.” He lifted the bag.
“It’s nothing. I was just worried about Dahui.”
“I told you, she’s fine. The fever will break soon. She’s been lying on the couch watching television all day.”
She smiled. “Not writing poetry then?”
His face stilled. Then it went blank. “Not that I know of.”
“So, what did you think of your daughter’s genius?”
“What?” Two deep lines developed between his eyebrows.
“Her poem. Did you like her poem?”
Now she’d caught him. He was going to have to outright lie to her. Or confess the truth.
Suddenly, the door opened, and a weak voice sounded behind him.
“Appa? I’m hungry. Oh! Mrs. Wang!” That voice grew stronger as Dahui took comfort in her teacher’s presence. “What are you doing here?”
“Actually, I just brought you some soup and tea.”
The girl’s face lit up. “Thank you!” She moved forward to embrace her teacher, but her father caught her and held her back. Confused, she frowned up at him.
“Dahui, you don’t want to make Mrs. Wang sick. Her heart,” he murmured.
The girl’s face fell. She stepped back into her apartment and frowned at Mrs. Wang. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t think!”
“No, Dahui! It’s all right, sweetheart. I’m so happy I got to see you. I’ve really missed you.”
The girl paused to smile at Haewon. “I miss you too! I was so sorry I couldn’t come to class yesterday.” She started to cough, so she disappeared behind the door. A moment later, her face resurfaced.
“Dahui, here, take the soup. You can help yourself to some.”
“I can go,” Haewon asserted, “so you can help her. I’ll see you both later.” She smiled at Dahui. “Feel better soon. Bye!”
She spun around and headed for the elevator.
“Thank you, Mrs. Wang!” the father and his daughter hollered together.
He glanced down at Dahui. This was the most animated he’d seen her in two days. “You really love her, don’t you?” he murmured.
She beamed up at him. “Mrs. Wang is easy to love, Appa.”
He turned his eyes towards the woman waiting for the elevator. “Yes, she certainly is, isn’t she?”
—
An hour later, another text came through.
“Floating by on the breeze,
You cheer me with your ease,
Come closer to me, please,
Let’s fly past the trees.
“Soar into the unknown.
With you I’ll find my home.
No longer I’m alone.
I’ve found my very own.”
Haewon responded immediately. “Dahui, I love it! You are an amazing poet!” Then she followed it up with, “Did you like my chorus?”
“I did,” came the curt response.
“And the soup and tea? Were they all right?”
“They were delicious.” Then a separate text, “What’s for dinner tomorrow night?”
Why, when she read that last text, did she hear Mr. Kang’s teasing voice asking that question?
As she stared at it, she couldn’t imagine Dahui asking her such a question.
“Mr. Kang, are you using your phone again?”
“But, of course,” came his reply.
Her lips quirked. “Have any of these text messages been from Dahui?” she asked suddenly.
She’d caught him.
Embarrassed, he set his phone down.
“Appa!” called Dahui. “Can I have some more tea?”
Happily, he walked away from his phone.
—
He never responded to that question. Haewon kept checking her phone for several minutes, but no new texts appeared. However, an hour later, another poem appeared.
“You’re my sanctuary,
Not my adversary.
You’re my luminary.
No more solitary.
“Your heart is my refuge.
Your laughter, sweet deluge.
Your smile’s my good news.
Your heart’s the one I choose.”
Haewon got caught in the first two lines.
“You’re my sanctuary, not my adversary.”
She frowned. That didn’t sound like a line Dahui would write. They had never been adversaries. But she and Mr. Kang…Her heart began to beat faster.
“Mr. Kang, did you just text me again?”
“You know, I find it very strange that we’ve known each other for months, yet you are still addressing me as Mr. Kang. My given name is Myeong.”
She stared at his response. Her heart continued to thud along. She set her phone down. He had ignored her the last two times she had questioned who had written the poems. Had she been corresponding with the father this whole time?
She thought hard. Dahui had spent the last two days sick. Lying on the couch watching TV, according to her appa. It had been late last night when the first poem had come through. Surely Dahui hadn’t still been awake at eleven forty-five.
Haewon scrolled through all of their text messages from the last day. She felt herself flushing. She was fairly certain that none of these text messages had been from Dahui. Haewon had assumed the first poem had been sent by the daughter. But as she reread everything, she realized that her assumption must be false. Which meant that Myeong had written them all! And sent them to her!
“Mr. Kang, did you write the poems?” she asked a straight question.
There was no way he could mistake her meaning this time.
“Please, call me Myeong.”
She waited.
“A man can’t continue to write poetry for a woman if she insists on calling him, Mister.”
Her heart stopped. He had written the poems. For her. She stared in wonder at her phone. And was astonished that she wasn’t bursting into tears. She cleared her throat. A lump had suddenly formed in the midst of it.
“I’m embarrassed. I thought your daughter was using your phone. I thought she wrote the poems.”
“They were that childish, huh?”
“What? No!” Haewon took a deep breath. “They were beautiful. I thought the first one was from you. But then I…” She accidentally hit send. So, as that message popped up on the sent screen, she continued with a new thought, “No man has ever written me a poem. I figured that was an impossibility.”
“You must have been surrounded by idiots.”
“I wasn’t surrounded by anyone. Just my parents. Or other heart patients.” Then, “You don’t understand. I’ve always loved poetry. It’s been my lifelong dream to…”
Then, as she moved to delete that last, she accidentally hit the send button instead. And closed her eyes as her incomplete text popped up on the screen.
“To what?” came his immediate reply.
“To receive a poem someone had written for me.”
Her cheeks were flaming now. She was so glad she wasn’t facing him. But she found the courage to send that remainder of the text.
She read his rapid response: “Glad I could make a lifelong dream come true.”
“But you didn’t really write it for me, did you?”
She waited several beats for his answer to come through.
“I did.”
Her heart was crashing around in her chest.
“But I’m not sure it’s a song,” he remarked next.
She smiled. “In my heart, it’s a song.”
“I will have to bow to your heart then.”
Why were his words warming her?
“I can’t believe you wrote me a poem.”
He sent her a smiling emoji.
“Why?” she asked.
“Why what?”
“Why did you write me a poem?”
“Because I like you.”
His words were warming her again.
“You like me?”
“Mmhmm.”
She grinned. Did he mean he was attracted to her? She wasn’t about to ask that question.
“I like you too.”
This time, Myeong was the one grinning.
“Does that mean you’d go out on a date with me?”
Her heart stopped. He did mean he found her attractive.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether or not you’re asking me.”
Cheeky girl.
His smile stretched all the way across his face.
“Appa? Why are you smiling like that?”
He glanced at Dahui. “I’m talking to a friend.”
“Which friend?”
“Mrs. Wang.”
Dahui sat up as her face brightened. “You are?!”
“Mmhmm.”
“I am,” he confirmed his intent in his next text message to Mrs. Wang. “For starters, how about you and I go out with twenty children on Friday? Then, if we’re still up for another outing, I could take you to dinner afterwards. Assuming I can find a friend of Dahui who wants to invite her over for a sleepover that night.”
“Or we could take her with us,” she suggested.
He smiled. This was part of the reason he loved her so much.
Loved her?!
“I think if you’re going to ask me out, then perhaps you should know my name.”
“Am I allowed to?” he asked teasingly.
She grinned.
Who’s being cheeky now?
“Haewon.”
Finally. He knew her name. Her name is Haewon.
“That’s a beautiful name.”
She sent him a red heart.
“So…is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
“Friday night, then?”
“OK.”
They were making progress. Myeong’s heart felt lighter. So did Haewon’s.
