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# Chapter 15: The Ambiguity of Time
Seo-jun couldn’t bring himself to answer Han-su’s question. His mind had already wandered elsewhere, his thoughts trapped in the faces of those around him. Park Yeon-woo’s smile had captivated his heart, while Han-su’s gaze pierced straight through it. His chest began to race, his fingers trembling subtly. He wanted nothing more than to escape this interrogation room at the Podo-cheong, to stand with Yeon-woo beneath the silver moonlight in the courtyard outside her home. Through the window drifted the night air of Seoul mingled with the distant sounds of Gangnam’s streets, while the heavy, musty smell of dust-covered books stacked on shelves within the room assailed his nostrils.
Then Han-su repeated his question. “You said you came from the provinces. Tell me which place you’re from.” Seo-jun tried to answer, but his mind was elsewhere. He wanted to escape this interrogation room, to stand beneath the silver moonlight with Yeon-woo. The lamplight illuminated his face in the darkness, and his voice wavered slightly. The people and bookshelves in the room appeared blurred before his eyes.
“I… I came from Jeolla Province,” Seo-jun answered, though his heart was not in the words. His pulse quickened, and his chest trembled as if responding to her voice. His hand trembled faintly, his gaze drawn into her smile. He longed to escape this place, to share that moment of silver moonlight with her.
Then Park Yeon-woo began to speak of her mother’s final days. Seo-jun listened carefully, wondering how she had endured life after losing her mother. His chest trembled to the rhythm of her words, his heart moving with each story of her family. His pulse raced, his fingers quivering. Through her words, he began to understand more deeply the love and conflict within her family.
As he listened to her speak of her family, he gained deeper understanding of their daily lives and the story of her mother’s final day. His hand found hers, and her smile captured his heart. Through her family’s story, he came to comprehend the bonds of love and the tensions that bound them. His heart raced, his mind moving with each word she spoke. Beneath the moonlight, their shadows merged into one, and Seo-jun wished that this moment with her would last forever.
Then Han-su asked again. “Who is your guarantor?” Seo-jun couldn’t answer. His mind was elsewhere, his thoughts unable to escape the faces in the room. Yeon-woo’s smile held his heart captive, Han-su’s eyes piercing deep into his chest. His heart raced, his fingers trembling. He wanted to leave this place, to stand with her beneath the silver moonlight. Through the window came the sounds of the Seoul night and Gangnam’s distant traffic, while the heavy scent of dusty books filled the room.
“I… I have no guarantor yet,” Seo-jun replied, though his mind was not present. His heart raced, his chest trembling as if to her rhythm. His hand shook subtly, his eyes drawn to her smile. He wanted to escape, to share the moonlight with her. The lamplight cast shadows across his face, his voice unsteady.
Through her family’s story, Seo-jun came to understand her more deeply—the love and conflict that shaped her. His heart raced with each word, his mind following the contours of her family’s journey. He listened to the ordinary details of her life, the memory of her mother’s final day etched into his understanding.
As he listened, he grasped something of her inner self. His hand held hers, her smile claiming his heart. Through her words, he understood the depths of her family’s love and struggle. His heart beat faster, his mind moved by her story. Beneath the moonlight, their shadows intertwined, and he wished this moment would never end.
Han-su approached him, his gaze fixed and penetrating, his voice hollow. “You said you came from the provinces. Where exactly?” Seo-jun found he could not answer. His mind was elsewhere, trapped in the faces surrounding him. Yeon-woo’s smile held him captive, Han-su’s eyes cutting through him.
He wanted to escape this interrogation room, to stand with her beneath the silver moonlight. His fingers trembled, his heart racing. The moment stretched between them—the question unanswered, the truth suspended in time.