Prologue, The Beginning

          It was a warm summer afternoon in Busan. The trees were still and the neighborhood was quiet as the 4-year-old Jung Daehyun sat on the veranda, playing with a bunch of wooden toy-cars he’d just received from his pregnant aunt as a birthday gift. Mrs. Kwon and her husband have been living with Daehyun and his father ever since his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Shortly after a year, when Daehyun was just a toddler, she passed, leaving behind a man who needed nothing but support from the rest of his family to raise his first and only beloved son, the last gift from his wife. Mrs. Jung’s death encouraged the bonds within the family to crystallize, creating a happy family all living under the safety of one roof in the countryside.

          It has nearly been two years since the tragic incident. Mr. Jung would spend every waking day thinking of his wife, reminiscing her smiles, her tender skin and her supple features. He would miss her, and tell Daehyun sweet stories about how they’d met and would often describe something called ‘love at first sight’, shedding a tear every now and then for the sole purpose of her absence. Daehyun would sit and listen to his fathers’ words, absorbing them into the little neurons in his brain until he too, could picture the blossoming of something so wonderful. Something that eventually lead to his existence.

          Whilst Daehyun played outside with his toy cars, his grandmother and Mrs. Kwon stood in the kitchen, preparing the dinner for his small birthday party whilst the men went out to choose the cake. Daehyun was a shy kid, and therefore had no friends in particular to call down and share his birthday cake with. He liked being singled out in games and doing things independently and he wasn’t sure on how to make a friend either. Nonetheless, Daehyun was more than happy to celebrate his birthday with just his family.

          After all, he was the first grandchild and received the most love and attention from all. But that was going to change. When the dinner was cooked and the men returned with a beautifully decorated chocolate cake, the small family settled themselves around the dinner table with Daehyun sandwiched in the middle before his burning candles, wearing a pointed party hat and his favourite blue shirt.

          Just as Mr. Jung handed him a small children’s knife to cut the first piece of the cake with, the family began singing happy birthday to the elated child. “Make a wish before you blow out the candles, Daehyunnie,” Mrs. Kwon cooed, grinning sweetly at the small innocent child and pinching his cheek. Just as Daehyun blew out the candles, Mrs. Kwon froze and her face crippled into one of pain.

          “Yeobo?”  Mr. Kwon asked, looking at his wife with an alarmed expression. Acting fast, Mr. Kwon looked under the table to witness his wife’s water break before her shrieking sounded the silence of the dinner table. Confused, Daehyun looks between the adults as they panicked and jumped from the table, grabbing the house keys, car keys and their cell phones, abandoning his birthday meal entirely.  Daehyun’s father had already made it to his car, revving up the engine whilst Mr. Kwon brought his wife into his arms and into the backseat, followed by Daehyun’s grandparents and himself.

Things happen in a blur.

          Mrs. Kwon manages to give birth to a baby girl, and Mr. Kwon ends up getting an x-ray on his hand after the way his wife had held it. When the news reaches Mr. Jung and his parents, they all exhale a sigh of relief and prepare themselves to meet the new little angel that had just descended from the heavens who had stole the attention that was once on little Daehyun. Mr. Jung is thrilled to see his niece, and his sister safe and sound on her bed with a smile of utter jubilation masking her features.

“Congratulations sister,” Mr. Jung grins, gently laying the pads of his fingers against the soft skin of the newborn. “Got any ideas on what to name her?” he questions, leaning beside his exhausted sister.

“Myungsuk and I will discuss that later,” she says, cradling the girl closer to her chest.

           “She’s beautiful, just like you.” Mr. Jung states, his smile never leaving his sister even when the excited grandparents enter creating a racket of excitement. Mrs. Kwon didn’t fail to see Daehyun propped up on his grandfather’s back, eyes red and puffy from tears. After all, his aunt’s pregnancy had just soiled his birthday party.

          “Congratulations to our lovely daughter for giving birth to such a beauty!” hollers grandma, going over to smother Mrs. Kwon in sloppy kisses. Granddad takes a seat on the edge of the bed, bringing Daehyun down into his lap and his hair back affectionately. He looks to the newborn, then down at the dejected birthday boy in his lap who looked begrudgingly at the next grandchild.

          “I understand that she stole the spotlight from you,” he whispers, “but don’t you go around with that look on your face. You’re a big boy now Daehyun-ah, you just turned four!”

          Daehyun stares at the newborn, studying her round pinked cheeks and her cute puffy wide eyes. He stares longer, wondering why she had to appear on this very day. He felt disappointed, disheartened, that now things were going to take a turn and were going to change for the rest of his life. This little girl was going to share the attention Daehyun once had centered on himself.

          Granddad Jung grins, taking Daehyun’s hand and placing it against the warmth of the newborn’s cheek. Mrs. Kwon looks apologetically at Daehyun but grins when a small glint flashes in Daehyun’s intrigued stare. Despite the tinge of envy he felt towards the tiny thing, he couldn’t help but be drawn towards her. She was indeed, very beautiful and had the purest features Daehyun had not failed to pick up on. His scowl soon turned into a look of glee as the newborns’ face scrunched up at his touch.

          “He likes her already!” laughs granddad, looking between the boy and his newborn cousin. Mrs. Kwon sends a knowing look to her father, a smirk playing at the corner of .

          Just as granddad Jung gets the hint, he grins from ear to ear and peers down at the innocent boy in his lap who still kept a tiny palm against the newborn’s face. Grandma Jung looks between the duo, perplexed until Mr. Kwon enters with a bandaged hand and steels the moment, breaking the mischievous eye contact between Mrs. Kwon and her father.

“Thanks yeobo, this won’t heal until mid July” Mr. Kwon chuckles, shifting on his feet to stand beside his mother-in-law.

“Why don’t you say hello to your daughter?” grandma states, swiftly getting up and moving across the ward. “I’ll go get us some water.”

“I’ll come with you,” Mr. Jung states, following his mother.

          Mr. Kwon goes and does just as he was told, taking his baby girl carefully into his arms from his wife and cradling her small body in his large embrace. “Ah! She’s so beautiful!” he coos, looping a finger within her tiny hand and gently wiggling it around. Daehyun stares in awe at the small thing, wishing he could hold her himself. 

          “One day, Daehyun-ah, you and Bisuri will play all day long outside on the veranda, and you’ll teach her all the things you’ve learnt in school, okay?” asks granddad, bringing the boy higher up onto his lap. Daehyun looks from the baby to the elder and nods compliantly, falling into a small toothy grin.

“Appa, we didn’t agree with Bi Suri,” says Mrs. Kwon, picking up on the name her father had just used.

“I think it’s a nice name, yeobo,” grins Mr. Kwon, adding a positive “it’s unique.”

          The female ponders for a moment, humming to herself as she considers the name. “I guess it’s nice… Kwon Bisuri it is!” Mrs. Kwon cheers, smiling at her husband with utmost delight. Daehyun processes the little girl’s name and shyly curls against his granddad’s stomach.

“Hello, Bisuri…”