In a quiet corner of Seoul's capital, under the dim lights of a calm bar, a young man sat drinking alone.
He wasn't seeking intoxication, but a moment of peace in a city that never stops its noise.
Kim Tan, son of Kim Wang, the well-known businessman, seemed like a stranger in the place despite frequenting it often.
A few days ago, he was forced to accept an arranged engagement with the daughter of a partner investor. He had no say. Just a threat:
"Either you marry her, or you are expelled... erased from the family records."
Living in a luxurious apartment didn't ease his feeling of suffocation.
He occasionally visited the family home for dinner with his mother, Niunig, his sister Taeri, and his brother Jong.
But the family there was nothing more than a facade... behind it, emptiness.
He slowly raised his glass, looked at the clear liquid, and murmured to himself:
"Even this tastes meaningless now."
—
Far from that world, in the south, a small bus carried a tight-knit family toward the heart of Seoul.
They said goodbye to their village, their land, their neighbors, and all that was familiar.
Bora, the eldest daughter, had found a small apartment barely large enough for the family.
Narrow hallways, cramped space, but warm enough to make them feel they hadn't made a mistake.
Jihan said as he put down his bag:
— "It's okay… at least we have a roof over our heads."
No one objected.
Everyone knew the next step wouldn't be easy... but it was necessary.
—
The next morning, Jihan dressed in simple clothes, quickly tied his shoes, and headed to the door.
— "Where are you going?"
asked the grandmother.
— "I'm going to look for a job, Grandma."
— "Rest first, work won't run away."
— "But hunger doesn't wait, Grandma."
She smiled but hid a faint worry in her eyes.
— "Come back safe, and don't be sad if you return empty-handed."
— "I'll come back with hope, nothing less."
—
Jihan spent his day wandering through alleys and shops.
His face was friendly but tired.
His voice was quiet but determined.
Everywhere, the answer was the same:
"Sorry, no vacancies."
At night, he returned home.
He greeted quietly, then entered his room.
Sat in long silence, then whispered to himself:
"I'll start anywhere, even if it's far from my dreams."
—
The next day began differently.
Noise in the living room, laughter, and smells of food.
Jihan stepped out hesitantly, surprised to find his sister Bora with a strange young man.
— "My sister!"
— "Oh, Jihan! How you've grown!"
She hugged him tightly and smiled:
— "Let me introduce you, this is John On, my colleague."
— "Nice to meet you."
— "Likewise."
Their mother entered gently and said:
— "Everyone, sit down. The food will be ready soon."
Then she looked at her son:
— "Come help me, family chef."
—
In the kitchen, the mother chopped meat while Jihan started washing vegetables.
— "How was your day yesterday? Did you find anything?"
She asked without looking up from the knife.
— "Nothing yet... but I'll keep trying."
— "Seoul isn't easy, but it's not unbeatable."
— "And I don't intend to give up."
She smiled, then looked at him for a moment, saying nothing.
But deep inside, she knew this boy who grew up in the fields must now endure the concrete jungle.
Between running water and the sound of knives, Jihan felt something new creeping inside him.
It wasn't sadness... nor comfort.
But a feeling like:
Preparing to begin a new life.