The engine hummed steadily as Doyeon drove through the quiet streets, the city lights gradually thinning the farther he went. Buildings gave way to wider roads, and eventually, to long stretches of darkness broken only by scattered streetlamps and passing headlights.
For a while, he just drove in silence.
Then—
A soft notification sound broke through the quiet.
Doyeon's eyes flicked briefly toward his phone resting on the dashboard.
KakaoTalk.
His hand reached over, tapping the screen lightly while keeping one eye on the road. The contact name displayed clearly.
Ha-eun's father.
Doyeon stared at it for a second, his expression unreadable, before typing a short message.
**Hello. This is Doyeon. I'd like to ask a few things about Ha-eun.**
He hit send.
No reply.
Not yet.
After a while he exhaled quietly and shifted his attention back to the road, then opened KakaoTalk again, tapping on the profile pic.
An address was already there.
Gangwon-do, Yangpyeong-gun, Seojong-myeon, a quiet forest-side road tucked deep between the mountains.
Doyeon's eyes lingered on it for a second.
"Of course it's somewhere like that," he muttered under his breath.
Then he locked the screen and tightened his grip on the wheel.
Gangwon Province.
A quieter area.
More remote.
"Figures," he muttered.
With a slight turn of the wheel, he followed the route, the road gradually narrowing as trees began to crowd both sides. The deeper he drove, the thicker the forest became, shadows stretching across the asphalt like something alive.
Time passed.
Then—
He slowed the car.
A small, modest house came into view, sitting a little off the road, surrounded by tall trees that swayed faintly with the evening breeze.
Doyeon parked the car nearby and turned off the engine.
Silence.
For a moment, he just sat there.
Then he stepped out.
The moment he did, the warm evening air brushed against him, soft and calm, carrying the faint scent of trees and earth.
Doyeon paused, taking a slow breath.
"This feels nice."
For a brief second, the tension in his shoulders eased.
But only for a second.
Because just beyond that quiet—
Something about this place felt… off.
Subtle.
But there.
Doyeon's gaze shifted toward the house, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Then, without another word—
He started walking.
An old, worn down house stood at the end of the narrow road, surrounded by tall trees that swayed gently with the evening breeze. The paint had faded, and the air around it felt… still. Like time had stopped there.
"This really feels nice," he muttered faintly.
Then he walked up to the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
Clack.
The door creaked open.
An old woman stood there.
Her posture was slightly hunched, her eyes tired— but sharp enough to study him carefully.
"What is it, young man?" she asked.
Doyeon gave a small, polite bow.
"Hi, 할머니… (halmeoni)," he said gently. "I wanted to ask… does someone named Park Kang-woo live here?"
The old woman didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stepped out of the house.
Slowly.
Silently.
She walked past him and sat down on a wooden chair beside the window, her gaze no longer on him— but somewhere far away.
"What do you need from them?" she asked, her tone turning colder.
Doyeon hesitated.
Then—
"I know Ha-eun," he said.
The reaction was instant.
"Young man!" her voice rose sharply, cutting him off. "Stop it. Is this some kind of joke? Don't do this."
Doyeon flinched slightly.
"No, halmeoni… it's not like that. I—"
"Stop," she said again, firmer this time.
She pointed weakly toward the house behind her. "This house… it used to be theirs. But they left." Her voice trembled slightly. "They couldn't stay. Every corner… every little thing… it reminded them of her."
Doyeon stayed silent.
"For three years…" she continued, her hands tightening slightly on her lap, "they didn't give up. Not once. They searched, they waited… they begged for anything."
Her voice cracked.
"They just wanted to know… whether she was alive… or dead…"
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"They said they wouldn't stop until they saw something… even just bones…" she whispered.
She paused.
Then shook her head slowly.
"But a few weeks ago… they finally… accepted it."
Her eyes lifted, meeting Doyeon's.
"So please," she said quietly, but firmly, "don't give them hope."
Silence fell between them.
Doyeon lowered his gaze.
"I'm sorry, halmeoni," he said softly as he stepped closer and sat beside her.
He gently held her hand.
"I didn't know…"
The old woman let out a tired sigh.
"it's alright," she said after a moment, her voice softer now. "I shouldn't have shouted."
She gave a faint, bittersweet smile. "Do you know… I'm Ha-eun's grandmother."
Doyeon blinked.
"You're her grandmother?"
She nodded.
"I was the first one to hear the news three years ago," she said quietly. "And even now… it still hurts the same."
Her eyes drifted again. "She was such a kind child… for someone like her to just… disappear…"
Then she looked back at him.
"But you," she said, narrowing her eyes slightly, "how do you know her? The missing posters are barely around anymore… so it's not like you just saw one."
A pause lingered between them.
"Were you her friend?" she asked softly.
Doyeon shook his head, then slowly lifted his gaze to meet her eyes. "Halmeoni… I can see ghosts."
The old woman froze, her expression going completely still, as if the world itself had paused around her.
"I met Ha-eun yesterday," he continued quietly. "On a highway." He exhaled softly, his voice steady but low. "And… she asked me to check on you. On all of you."
Silence fell after that— heavy, suffocating, the kind that pressed down on the chest and made it hard to breathe.
For a moment, the old woman didn't move at all. Then, slowly, her lips began to tremble, her fingers tightening around his hand as if grounding herself. "That child…" she whispered faintly, her voice barely holding together.
And just like that—
She broke.
"If that were true… then that child, must've been lonely… for three years." Tears spilled from her eyes as she covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
Years of grief, of waiting, of holding on— finally pouring out all at once.
Doyeon didn't say anything.
He stayed beside her.
Quiet.
Steady.
Letting her cry.
And simply… not leaving.
***
(Time passed.)
Slowly.
By the time the sky had begun to dim, Doyeon glanced at his phone.
6:00 PM.
He stood up.
"Halmeoni," he said gently, offering a small smile, "please tell Ha-eun's father about me."
The old woman— aka Minhu… looked up at him, her eyes still red, but clearer now.
She nodded.
"I will," she said softly. "I'll contact him right away."
Doyeon gave a small bow.
Then he turned and walked back toward his car.
The evening air felt different now.
Heavier.
But clearer.
.
.
And… yea bro… cliffhanger