The Storm

I wandered the streets of Seoul, shivering in my thin coat, as a cold wind blew through the city. I had always hated the cold days, but lately, they seemed to be more frequent than the hot and sunny ones. I walked past the bustling crowds of people, wondering when spring would finally arrive.

"When will spring meet?" I muttered to myself, pulling my coat tighter around my body.

"I don't really know either," a voice responded from behind her.

Startled, I turned around to see an older man standing there, his face lined with wrinkles and his eyes kind. "But I hope it's soon."

I smiled weakly and continued on my way. I had no idea who the man was or why he had spoken to me, but his words had given me a small glimmer of hope.

After wandering around for a while, I found myself back in Seoul. I decided to stop by Mr. Lee's coffee shop, a cozy little place that I had stumbled upon a few weeks earlier. As I opened the door and stepped inside, the familiar smell of coffee and pastries greeted her.

"I came," I said, making my way over to the counter.

"Oh, our Ayoung has come," Mr. Lee said with a smile. "You don't remember us."

"Please don't say that, Uncle Lee," I replied, laughing. "It's easy to forget things these days."

"Put a cappuccino for Ayoung," Mr. Lee called out to his barista. "I saw you on TV."

I blushed, feeling a sudden rush of embarrassment. I had been on a small TV show a few days earlier, talking about my passion for writing.

"Thank you," I said, taking the cappuccino from the barista. "I hope you enjoyed the show."

"We did," Mr. Lee said with a grin. "You're a natural on camera."

I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through my body. Despite the cold and the rain, I was grateful to have found a small refuge in Mr. Lee's coffee shop. Maybe spring will come soon, but until then, I will enjoy the warmth of the coffee and the kindness of the people around me.

I walked into the quiet house and called out, "Halmoni, Halmoni!" My voice echoed in the empty space.

"Why is your voice loud, Ayoung?"

"I'm hungry; let's eat."

I sighed and put down the bags of food I had brought from the market. As I began to eat, Halmoni walked in and said, "Ah, I made ramen." Eat it too."

I smiled and said, "Thank you, Halmoni. I love your ramen." I ate the ramen with gusto until I was full and leaned back, patting my stomach.

"Your belly is long," Halmoni chuckled. I giggled and rubbed my belly.

"Ayoung!" Halmoni suddenly exclaimed

"Yes, Halmoni?" I looked up, curious.

"Should we go to the grave to see Kim Shik and Yurie?" Halmoni asked.

I felt nervous at the mention of the grave. "Hey, suddenly," I replied.

"I went there 20 years ago. Since I'm in Seoul, why don't we go and pay our respects?" Halmoni suggested.

I nodded and said, "Okay, let's go tomorrow." I went to my room, feeling emotional. I had lost my parents when I was just five years old and hadn't been able to say goodbye to them. My grandmother had told me they had gone on a long journey. As I grew older, I realized that they would never return.

The next morning, me and Halmoni dressed in black hanboks and went to the grave. It was a peaceful place, and the sun was shining brightly. Halmoni and I sat in front of the grave, bowing and offering flowers.

"How are you, my daughter and son-in-law? You are in a good place, aren't you?" Halmoni spoke loudly. "Well, our little girl is big now. She is very beautiful. Yuri, she is smart like you."

"I will come to see you soon." "Until then, be careful."

Halmoni smiled and said,

"What is Halmoni saying? Who is there for me?" I hugged her, and they both shed tears.

After a while, we went for a walk in the park. "Halmony, it's been a while since we took this walk."

"Yes, I used to walk easily."

We walked around the park until nightfall. I even bought a beautiful hanbok for Halmoni.

The next day, I went to work and was surprised to receive a promotion. During lunchtime, I met my friend Suha at Lee Cafe and told her that I planned to go to Jeju that week.

"You too, Suha." "Let's have fun together."

"I'll be listed then, Ayoung!" Suha laughed.

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was an unknown number.

"Miss Kim Ayoung," a voice said on the other end.

"Yes, it's me," Ayoung replied.

"We are talking from the hospital. Your grandmother is ill. Come immediately," the voice said urgently.

I and Suha rushed to the hospital. "Where is Park Kimiko?" I asked frantically.

"In the ICU. Get there now," the nurse said sternly.

I ran and stumbled to the ICU, tears streaming down my face. I waited for what felt like an eternity until a doctor came out with a sad look on his face.

"Doc, doctor, is my Halmoni fine?" I asked desperately.

"We're very sorry, Ayoung!" He walked away, muttering... I slid down there and felt quite ill. I had lost my only sorrowful... In the hospital, I went unconscious. When I awoke, I found Halmoni sleeping quietly with lovely flowers. My eyes were welling up with tears.

I walked down the stairs with a heavy heart, dreading the thought of having to face anyone at that moment. But when I saw who was waiting for me, my heart skipped a beat.

"Ayoung-ah," a familiar voice said. It was Minsu's papa.

"min-su's papa?" I said it in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"I came as soon as I heard about your Halmoni," he replied, his voice filled with sympathy. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Tears streamed down my face as I fell into his arms. "Thank you for coming," I said, my voice choked with emotion.

Over the next few days, Min-su's papa stayed with me, helping me cope with my grief. He listened as I told him about my childhood and my memories of Halmoni.

As the days passed, I began to feel a glimmer of hope. My friend's presence was a source of comfort and strength for me, and I started to see that life could go on even without Halmoni.

I sat in my room, staring blankly at the wall. It had been a week since Halmoni's funeral, and I felt like I had lost my reason for living. Everything felt empty and meaningless without Halmoni.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Ayoung didn't feel like seeing anyone, but she got up to answer the door anyway. When she opened it, she saw a man she had never seen before.

"Miss Ayoung, I am lawyer Kang." "I am Kim Shik, Kim Yurie, and Park Kimiko's lawyer," he said.

I felt a lump form in her throat. "Oh, Halmoni, no, don't tell me," she said, my voice shaking.

"I know, and I'm sorry. Mrs. Kimiko came to me on an assignment," Lawyer Kang said, handing me a set of documents. "Sea7 is your grandfather's company. After your grandfather, your father owned it. After his death, Kim Ayoung owned it. The shareholders took care of the company until you turned 18. At the request of Mrs. Kimiko not to say this until you turned 25...here are the documents."

I felt a jolt of shock run through me. I had no idea that I had inherited a company. I read through the documents, but my mind was still reeling. It was hard to process this information when I was still grieving for Halmoni.

After Lawyer Kang left, I went back to my room and closed the door. I sat down on my bed and looked at the documents. No matter how much company No matter how many companies we had, we suffered in Jeju. Some days we did not eat. "Why, Halmoni, did we suffer?" she asked herself.

I didn't want the company. I didn't care about the money. I just wanted Halmoni back. I felt like I had lost everything that mattered to me.

The next morning, when I opened my door, I saw Minsu sleeping outside. I had forgotten that he had stayed over. I woke him up.

"Why are you sleeping here?" "Didn't you go home?"

He rubbed his eyes, sat up, and hugged me. "I was scared, Ayoung. You can't stay here and do nothing. You need to start working again."

I felt a pang of guilt. I had been so wrapped up in my own grief that I had forgotten that Minsu was hurting too.

"I know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Let's go for a walk," Minsu said, getting up. "It'll do us good."

We walked in silence for a while until Minsu spoke up.

"You know, Ayoung, Halmoni wouldn't want you to be sad like this." "She loved you so much, and she would want you to be happy."

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. "I know, but it's hard. I miss her so much."

"I know," Minsu said, putting his arm around her. "But you're not alone. You have me, and you have your friends and my family. We'll help you get through this."

I leaned my head on Minsu's shoulder and cried. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I wasn't alone. I had people who loved me. He took me and fed me wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Since you are alone here, stay with Yoshie in her apartment."

"it will disturb her, Min.."

"It's not like that. I talked to her ..pack your things. I'll leave them there when I go.."

He comforted me by touching my head. Because of me, he did not go to his work for many days. If I stay like this, it will not be good for him. That is why I liked his decision.

. "Thank you for being with me," I said with tears in my eyes.

"No thanks, my girl. it is my duty "

After breakfast, I packed my valuables. I saw a picture of Halmoni and took it. I have sent a message thanking you.