Strawberry Wine

six

The days were turning golden and brown. Summer had slipped by so easily. Chae Young wanted to collect pictures of the summer as much as she could: the way he'd put daisies behind his ear, the feel of his hip-bones underneath his shirt, the hard flat chest she'd lean against, his hair dripping wet in the rain and the way he'd say "you're beautiful", his voice breathy and delicate. She wanted to construct an art gallery of him. Just for herself. Her father had made the decision to move to Australia.

Amidst the damp atmosphere, the village was looking forward to celebrating Chuseok. Her father had called to say that he wouldn't be able to make it. He was currently making frequent trips to Yeongnam to apply for their visas and passports, and her brother would be keeping their paternal grandparents company.

"We'll be dining with Mi Hee's family for Chuseok," her grandmother told her.

Chae Young thought about how it might be the last eventful thing she shared with Jung Kook. She had not told him yet. She didn't know if she wanted to tell him. She tried to smile even more than usual. She wanted to leave him with happy memories. Maybe he would relegate her to a fleeting summer romance by the time the war ended, but she wanted to make sure that they were happy memories.

Jung Kook had relatives coming over for Chuseok and he said he was not looking forward to it.

"You know how nosy uncles can be," he complained, "They think they know everything."

Chae Young laughed.

"Are you wearing a hanbok?" he asked.

"Yes I did pack one. What luck! I never thought I'd be here till Chuseok."

He laughed. "I didn't think so either, but my aunt called to say my mom is sending me mine."

On the morning of Chuseok, Chae Young woke up to the sound of laughter and happy voices. Jung Kook's relatives seemed to have arrived already. The familiarity of the noise made her feel as though things were back to normal again. Maybe today, she wouldn't have to try so hard to smile.
Quickly washing up, she went to her grandma to ask for help in dressing up. She wondered how Jung Kook would look like in his hanbok, and found herself smiling.

Carrying the rice cakes she and her grandmother had made all night, she went over to Jung Kook's place. A large mat had already been set up in the front yard underneath the shade of the lemon tree. A few new faces sat on the front porch drinking tea.

"Annyeonghaseyo," she greeted.

"Oh, you must be Jun Hee's daughter," one of the men said.

Her heart made a tiny leap at the name of her mother and the familiarity with which he said it.

"Jun Hee's daughter?" a woman's voice said from inside. A tall woman who had Jung Kook's bunny teeth came out. "I knew your mother," she said. "We grew up next door to each other. Aigoo, the last time I saw you, you were just starting to walk. Why, you have Jun Hee's cheeks and her smile."

"Oh thank you," Chae Young began to say, but suddenly found warm tears flooding her eyes.

"Aunty, why would you make her cry so early in the morning," Jung Kook chided, coming out from the house. He was dressed in a deep purple hanbok and she thought he looked incredibly good. She couldn't help smiling amidst her tears.

"That's my dad's younger sister," he explained, taking the rice cakes from her.

"Shall I put on some make up for you?" Jung Kook's aunt offered.

"Ah...it's fine...," she began when Jung Kook interspersed. "Yes, Aunty. Please do."

His aunt laughed. "Are you kids dating?"