On a radiant afternoon, I lie stretched across the weathered bench in our backyard, watching my grandmother tend to her tiny garden as if it were a kingdom. Sunlight spills over her shoulders and catches in the silver strands of her hair. It warms my face until I have to lift a hand to shield my eyes, squinting at the soft blur of green leaves and red chili peppers. A playful breeze slips beneath my school uniform skirt and startles me upright, the old wood creaking in protest as I fold my legs beneath me.
"Halmi, will you be gone for long?" I call out, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.
She does not turn around right away. She continues watering her vegetables with careful devotion, droplets clinging to the leaves like jewels. "Not at all, my baby," she answers, laughter dancing in her voice. "only two nights."
Two nights. It should not sound so long, yet it does. A hollow ache opens in my chest. "Are you sure I can't go with you?" I ask, hating the way my voice wavers.
She finally sets the watering can aside and walks over to me, wiping her hands on her apron before sitting down. The bench dips with her weight. "Who takes their granddaughter to work? Besides, you cannot skip school." she says gently. "You are a senior now. You have exams coming. You must focus."
Her palm smooths over my hair, warm and steady. Usually that touch fixes everything. Today it does not.
"But I'm scared." I whisper.
She studies me closely then, and I see what I never wanted to see before. The faint tremor in her hands. The deeper lines around her eyes. The exhaustion she hides so well. Suddenly she looks smaller.
"I'm afraid." I choke out, tears spilling before I can stop them. "What if something happens to you? What if you leave me too?"
She pulls me into her arms without hesitation. Her embrace is strong, wrapping around me like she can shield me from the entire world. She rubs my back in slow circles as I cry into her shoulder.
"Nothing bad will happen to me." she murmurs firmly. "I will always be here with you."
"Promise?" I clutch her dress, desperate for something solid.
"I promise. Now stop crying." she says with a soft chuckle, though her voice thickens. "Watching you grow has been the greatest joy of my life. I will be here with you for a long time."
I want to believe her. I really do.
The memory fractures.
The garden fades. The bench disappears. The sunlight turns sterile and white.
Now she sits in a wheelchair in the nursing home garden, her hands resting limply on a blanket across her lap. The same woman who once ruled her garden now stares blankly at the sky. The doctor's word still echoes inside my head like a curse.
Stroke.
Everything changed that day. I became the caretaker. I became the adult.
"Halmi," I say softly, forcing brightness into my tone. "the sun is shining just the way you like it. I know you cannot water the plants anymore, but I brought you outside so you could feel it."
I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and move to sit beside her. Together we face the open sky.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I whisper.
She does not answer.
"Life hasn't been the same without you by my side." I continue, my voice trembling despite my efforts. "When things get hard, I still wish you would pat my back like you used to. I miss your hugs. I miss your smile."
The words tear through me. "It's so hard." I confess.
I cry quietly beside her while she remains still, her eyes fixed somewhere far beyond the clouds. Seeing her like this shatters something inside me every single time. A person once vibrant and full of life now reduced to a shell, waiting for a moment that feels like it could be her last...
That night, I walk alone through the city streets, the cold biting through my jacket. The glow of streetlights paints the pavement gold, but it does nothing to warm me. Quitting my job at Lee Ye's mansion felt impulsive, but staying would have hurt more. Now the reality settles in. I need a new job. I need more money. I need stability. Every step echoes too loudly in the quiet night, as if the world is reminding me how alone I am.
I pass a small café and slow down. Warm light spills onto the sidewalk, and inside, people laugh over drinks. Their lives look simple and easy, making me linger for a moment. I watch their smiles, and feel the distance between their world and mine stretch impossibly wide.
Across the city, Lee Ye stands inside a recording booth that feels more like a glass cage. The bright studio lights reflect off the transparent wall separating him from the control room. On the other side, his uncle, Mr. Lee, sits stiffly with his arms crossed. Ye Jin hovers near the soundboard, concern etched across her face. The producers exchange tight smiles that no longer hide their impatience.
Lee Ye adjusts his headphones and exhales slowly to steady his racing heart. He positions himself before the microphone, closes his eyes, and opens his mouth to sing.
Nothing.
The lyrics stop in his throat. Anxiety grips him like a vice, squeezing tighter with each passing second. He can feel the weight of expectation pressing down on him, stifling his creativity.
"Come on, Lee Ye," Ye Jin encourages gently through the intercom. "you can do this."
But her words only amplify his anxiety. He closes his eyes, imagining the notes dancing in his mind, but they slip away like sand through his fingers. The producers exchange frustrated looks. They've been at this for hours with no progress.
"Again." his uncle orders sharply in frustration.
Lee Ye nods and tries once more, but as he sings, doubt creeps in, making each note feel heavier than the last, and soon he finds himself stumbling over his lyrics. The frustration mounts within him until it becomes unbearable.
"Stop!" Mr. Lee snaps.
The command slices through the room. Lee Ye rips off his headset and steps out of the booth, jaw tight.
"This is exactly why I told you to go along with the dating scandal with Kara." his uncle fires at him. "You need publicity while you figure yourself out."
At the mention of Kara, something dark flashes in his eyes. "I am not using fake relationships to stay relevant." he shoots back. "It is insulting to my fans and to me. I am Lee Ye. My music will speak for itself."
"Your music is not speaking at all right now." Mr. Lee counters. "You are freezing up. Do you want to lose everything?"
The words sting more than he expects. Lee Ye clenches his fists at his sides, fighting back a wave of anger and hurt. "I am trying! You have no idea what it is like to be me."
Mr. Lee sighs deeply, rubbing his temple as if trying to ease a headache that has been building for days. "You think I don't understand? I've been in this industry long enough to know how it works. People always need something to talk about."
Silence stretches between them, heavy and suffocating.
Then Lee Ye asks quietly, "Why hasn't my housekeeper been coming to work?"
The shift in topic catches everyone off guard.
"She quit." his uncle replies. "The agency is finding a replacement."
"No." Lee Ye says immediately. "I do not want a replacement."
The words hang in the air, loaded with meaning no one dares to unpack. Without another explanation, he turns and walks out.
Mr. Lee watches him go with a furrowed brow and turns to Ye Jin with a sigh. "He's been way off, more than usual." he mutters.
Ye Jin raises an eyebrow knowingly. "He's still struggling with performance anxiety?"
"Of course! He's like a cat stuck in a tree, too scared to come down." Mr. Lee replies with a loud groan.
"Maybe we should put out some old performance videos for fans to enjoy while he figures this out." Ye Jin suggests.
"Great idea. Let's give them something to chew on while we wait for our star to shine again." Mr. Lee quips back with a chuckle.
Outside, the cool night air hits his face like a reset button. He approaches his car and asks his driver for the key. He needs to drive. He needs control over something.
As the engine hums to life, he drives off alone into the night. His thoughts drift to Seo Yeon, a stark contrast to the chaos left behind in the studio. He thinks of her smile, her warmth, the emptiness her absence left in his house, making a deep sense of longing ignite within him.
The city blurs as he drives toward her building. Each turn brings him closer to her, tightening the anticipation in his chest. When he finally parks under a dim streetlight, his pulse pounds nonstop.
He steps out and leans against the car, debating whether this is reckless. Whether he should simply leave.
Then he sees her.
Everything else fades.
His heart slams violently against his ribs, and before he can second-guess himself, he pushes away from the car and strides toward her. When he stops in front of her, he places a hand over his chest as if it might calm the storm raging inside him.
"Seo Yeon." he calls softly, her name leaving his lips like it has been waiting there all along.