Episode 2: The Sister's Decision
Seo‑kyung's studio was a converted storage room in an old building in Mangwon. When Seo‑ah knocked, she heard a guitar stop mid‑strum, a long pause, then footsteps.
The door opened a crack. Seo‑kyung's face appeared, guarded.
"You came back."
"I said I would." Seo‑ah held up a bag of takeout jjajangmyeon. "I brought noodles."
The door opened wider. Seo‑kyung looked at the bag, then at Seo‑ah's face. "You look different."
"I feel different."
They sat on the floor of the cramped studio, surrounded by guitar picks, lyric sheets, and empty coffee cups. For a while, they ate in silence. It was the first meal they'd shared in over a year.
"The producer called me," Seo‑kyung said finally. "Kang Dae‑won. He said you sent him to my show."
"I didn't send him. I told him about you. He came because he was curious."
"He offered me a contract. Three albums. Distribution. Marketing." She set down her chopsticks. "It's everything I've ever wanted."
"Then why are you hesitating?"
Seo‑kyung looked at her. "Because I don't know if I got it because I'm good or because you asked him to give it to me."
Seo‑ah put her own chopsticks down. "Do you want me to tell you the truth?"
"Yes."
"He almost didn't come. Ju‑hyuk had to convince him. And when he got there, he was ready to leave after the first song." She met her sister's eyes. "Then you played that song about the sister who built walls. He stayed because of that. Not because of me."
Seo‑kyung's chin trembled. "You heard that song?"
"I heard every word."
The silence stretched. Then Seo‑kyung reached across the takeout containers and grabbed Seo‑ah's hand. Her grip was fierce.
"I'm going to sign the contract," she said. "But I need you to promise me something."
"What?"
"Stop disappearing." Her voice cracked. "I don't care if you're working or dying or whatever is actually going on with you. Just stop leaving."
Seo‑ah squeezed her hand. "I'm not going anywhere."
It was the first promise she'd made since the counter disappeared. She intended to keep it.
---