Chapter 1: The Names to Their Faces

Byul’s eyes were met with a sea of white blankness as she looked down her window. A thin sheet of snow has settled on the concrete pavement in front of her apartment. The view gave her a sense of comfort but also a slightly gloomy mood.

She walks to her wooden desk and sets the warm cup of chocolate down on the coaster. Her hand reaches for the calendar. Shhhck. The paper made a satisfying ripping sound as she tore a page. Today is the 1st of December. 21 more days, huh? she pondered as she grabbed her favourite purple marker. “Birthday” was written neatly on the 22nd.

A buzz comes from the night stand. She checks her phone and sees that a message from Minji had arrived. The voice recording played, “Byul, sorry but can we meet at 11:30 instead? My mother got sick this morning.” She types out a reply, sends it and goes back to lie on the bed. Grabbing the remote, she the TV and absentmindedly flicked through the dozens of channels. Before she knew it, two hours had passed.

Bells clinked as Byul opened the restaurant’s wooden door. An old lady welcomes her and offers to seat her at a table. She informs the waitress that her companion was there already. Scanning the place, she spots Minji sitting at the corner. Her friend flashes a bright smile and waves.

“Oh, you got a new colour!” the other remarked as she pointed to her long lilac hair. “I thought you said you were gonna go for natural. The colour suits you, though.”

“Thanks. I was honestly going to but I couldn’t help it. My hairstylist tempted me again!” she responded with a laugh.

The two chatted away, sharing their daily woes while picking at the side dishes. Their conversation eventually leads to the topic of the year and decade ending in a month.

“It makes me think of what I’ve been doing in life." Byul shared. "You know, recently I feel this sense of...emptiness? Loneliness? I don’t know how to put it.”

“Sounds like it's time to find a lover.” Minji teased, raising her eyebrows.

“So cheesy! No, it’s not that. It just kind of feels like something is missing”

“Hmm, maybe you need something to be passionate about? Like a hobby.”

The waitress arrives at their table. Hot steam rose from the deep bowl on the tray. Both eyed the kimchi kalguksu with expectation as they were placed in front of them. The elderly lady asks the girls to enjoy the meal and slowly made her way back to the counter. They each scoop their shares and began to eat. The warmth and a hint of spice in the broth were perfect for the cold weather.

Upon finishing their lunch, Byul drove and dropped Minji at her home. Small specks of snow peppered the windshield. It was only there for a fleeting moment, before the wipers cleanly swept them aside. The repetitive motion and silent hum of the car got her deep in thought. The earlier suggestion had been lingering in her mind. I've always been into dancing but now it's literally my job as a choreographer. Would that still count as a hobby? she asked herself. Suddenly, an idea springs forth. Oh right, that should be lying around somewhere.

Byul pulls out a big plastic box from under the bed. She dusts it off and opens it. A wave of nostalgia hit her as she sorted through old albums, school medals and souvenirs. “This one!” she exclaims as she takes out a small container. Inside it is a grey film camera. She remembered getting it a few years ago when she was a freshman at college. At the time, she was a member of a photography circle. Post-graduation, however, she became too occupied with job-searching to continue it.

This might be the perfect time to get back into it. This cost me a fortune, might as well use it. she thought as she inspected the equipment. Its sleek design and lightness made it easy to carry. Her slender fingers traced the buttons and dials. With a click, the cover pops open, revealing a roll of film inside. She shuts it back and picks up the container. Some polaroids fall out, scattering themselves on the floor. Byul bends down to gather them one by one. Inspecting them closely, they were photos of people she didn’t recognise.

Are these mine? I don’t remember taking these. Curiously, she flips to the backside and sees a name written for each one. “Kim Yongsun.” The photo depicts a blonde-haired girl, leaning against a white wall. A black robe hung across her arms and she stared directly at the camera.

She moves on to the second one. “Jung Wheein.” The setting was in a bedroom. Sunshine permeated through the curtains and reflected onto the subject. She appears to have just woken up, judging from her ruffled short bob and vacant look in her eyes.

“Ahn Hyejin.” With her glasses pulled down, the woman was playfully smiling at someone. Her curled black hair draped gently over her shoulders and back. The patterned wallpaper behind her gave the image a warm muted tone.

None of these faces or names rang a bell. Byul figured it could have been other club members’ prints mixed in. Right as she was about to stand up, she notices that she missed one photo. It spelled her name. “Moon Byulyi.” She could only stare at it, bewildered.

It was a self-portrait, taken in front of a standing mirror. The face isn’t fully visible as the camera obstructed it. She was wearing a laid-back outfit - blue plaid shirt, ripped jeans and casual sneakers. The most confusing aspect was that the scene was completely foreign to her. Yet somehow, she felt that it was her in the photograph.