Jin-wook reached for the grocery bags before Mrs. Kang could bend down.
"Let me help you," he said gently, carrying Hari's shoes on one hand.
She waved him off at first, then paused, studying his face. Recognition dawned, followed by a warm smile. "Ah… you're Hari's friend, aren't you?"
"Yes," he replied, already lifting the bags from her hands. "I've got it."
Jin-wook didn't pay attention to the name Mrs. Kang said.
She thanked him, and they walked together toward her house. The afternoon sun softened the narrow street, the air heavy with the smell of grass and soil.
At the gate, Mrs. Kang hesitated, then turned to him. "Would you like to come inside? I can get you some juice."
Jin-wook nodded. "I'd like that."
Inside, the house felt lived-in and quiet. He sat on the couch while Mrs. Kang moved around the kitchen. His gaze drifted naturally until it stopped.
Photographs lined the wall.
Two girls.
Identical smiles. Identical eyes.
Yet something about them felt… different.
Mrs. Kang returned with a glass and noticed his stare.
"Oh," she said casually, as if explaining the weather. "That's Hari and her twin sister, Harin."
The word twin landed heavily.
"Twin?" Jin-wook echoed.
She nodded. "Yes. They didn't grow up together. Hari lived with her father in the countryside, while I stayed with Harin. When Harin passed away three years ago, Hari moved in with us. Her father passed a year later."
The room tilted.
"So…" Jin-wook's voice came out barely audible. "The person I know… is Hari. Not Harin."
"Yes," Mrs. Kang said gently. "It's Hari."
He stood up abruptly, the glass still untouched.
"I— I should go."
Before she could stop him, he was already at the door.
That night, Jin-wook shut himself inside his room and finally broke down.
The girl he had been calling Harin.
The girl he loved.
The girl who was supposed to be gone.
All this time…
Hari's calls lit up his phone again and again.
He didn't answer.
At the store, Jin-wook worked without pause, stacking boxes that didn't need stacking. His father noticed.
"You're quiet today," Mr. Yoo said. "Something wrong?"
Jin-wook didn't reply.
Outside, Do-hoon approached him directly.
"Stay away from Hari."
Jin-wook met his stare. "And if I don't?"
"Then you'll regret it." Do-hoon said, then left leaving Jin-wook staring at him from behind. Jin-wook didn't show to Do-hoon that he knew the truth.
When Jin-wook returned to his house later, he found Hari waiting.
Mrs. Yoo excused herself, sensing the tension.
"Why are you ignoring my calls?" Hari asked.
"I've been busy," Jin-wook replied flatly.
"You could've sent a text."
"We're not dating," he said, sharper than he intended.
The words stunned her.
"I'm tired," he added. "Can we talk another time?"
"Ahh, okay." She nodded and left.
Dinner passed in near silence, the clink of utensils louder than it should have been.
Hari set her spoon down.
"Mom."
"Yes?" her mother answered, not looking up.
"When Jin-wook was here earlier… did you tell him anything?"
Mrs. Kang paused, thinking. "Anything like what?"
"I don't know. Just… anything."
"I mentioned you and your sister," her mother said casually. "He saw the pictures of you two together."
The world tilted.
"Mom."
Hari stood so abruptly her chair scraped loudly against the floor. She didn't wait for a response. She walked straight to her room, closing the door behind her with shaking hands.
Her phone was already in her grasp.
Please pick up. Please.
The call rang once. Twice.
Voicemail.
Her chest tightened as she tried again only to be met with the same silence. She stared at the screen for a long moment before typing a message, her fingers hovering uncertainly over the keys.
In the end, she sent it anyway.
The phone slipped from her hand as she sat on the edge of her bed, heart racing.
The sharp sting came suddenly.
"Ouch!"
Hari sucked in a breath, instinctively clutching her hand. The hoe slipped from her fingers and landed in the dirt.
Do-hoon was beside her immediately. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said quickly, though the pain lingered. She flexed her fingers as if that alone could undo what had happened.
He watched her for a moment, not convinced. "You weren't paying attention. What were you thinking about?"
Hari hesitated. The words pressed against her chest, heavy and unavoidable.
"He knows," she said quietly.
Do-hoon frowned. "Knows what?"
"That I'm not Harin."
The wind moved through the fields, carrying the scent of soil and grass. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"You told him?" he asked at last.
She shook her head. "No. He found out when he came to my house. My mom told him."
Do-hoon exhaled slowly. "Then maybe… maybe that's for the best."
Hari looked at him sharply.
"I mean," he added, choosing his words carefully, "you were going to tell him eventually. And it's not like you and him—"
She stood up abruptly, cutting him off.
"How can you say that?"
The hurt in her voice surprised even her. She didn't wait for his answer. She turned and walked away, each step heavier than the last.
Behind her, Do-hoon reached out instinctively, then stopped.
"I didn't mean it like that," he said, but the words fell uselessly into the open air.
Hari didn't turn back.
Hari hadn't expected him to come.
She stood there, hands clasped in front of her, watching Jin-wook approach. The familiar face stirred a mix of relief and dread in her chest.
"I didn't think you'd agree to see me," she said quietly.
He stopped a short distance away. "You said you wanted to explain."
For a moment, she couldn't speak. The words she had rehearsed so many times felt heavier now that he was standing in front of her. When she finally lifted her gaze, her voice trembled.
"I never meant to lie to you," she said. "I wanted to tell you everything from the beginning. But every time we met… you looked so happy. You thought I was Harin. And I was scared that the moment I told you the truth, that happiness would disappear."
She swallowed, forcing herself to continue.
"I kept telling myself I'd tell you when the time was right. I thought I was protecting you. I'm sorry."
Jin-wook listened without interrupting. His expression was calm, but something unreadable flickered in his eyes.
"At first, I knew something was off," he admitted. "You avoided me. You even pretended you didn't know me. I thought maybe you'd moved on." He let out a quiet breath. "I never imagined that the person I loved so deeply… would lead me to feel something else entirely."
Hari blinked, confused. "What?"
A faint smirk touched his lips not playful, but tired.
"Don't misunderstand," he said. "I'm not asking you to date me. I just need time. Time to untangle my feelings and let go properly."
He hesitated before adding, "So… could we not see each other for a while?"
The request hurt more than she expected, but she nodded.
"Alright," Hari said softly. "I understand."
And as they stood there in silence, she realized that letting go no matter how painful was the only honest thing left to do.
Few months later.
The envelope was plain, without a name written on it.
"Someone left this for you," Mrs. Yoo said as Jin-wook stepped out of his room.
He accepted it without asking questions and returned inside. The moment the door closed, he unfolded the letter. He didn't need to read every word to know who it was from.
That afternoon, he found himself standing at the cemetery.
Hari was already there.
She turned when she heard footsteps behind her, surprise briefly crossing her face. "I didn't think you'd come."
"It's been a while," Jin-wook said, offering a small smile.
"Yes… it has."
They stood in silence, the afternoon air heavy but calm. The city lights flickered faintly in the distance.
"How have you been?" he asked.
"I'm doing okay," Hari replied after a moment. "You?"
"The same."
A gentle breeze passed through the trees. Hari glanced toward her sister's grave, then took a step back.
"I'll wait over there," she said quietly. "Take your time."
She walked away, leaving Jin-wook alone.
He stood before Harin's grave, his hands clenched at his sides.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I couldn't tell at first. When I saw your sister, I thought it was you. And even when I realized… I wasn't ready to accept that you were gone."
His voice wavered, but he continued.
"It took me a long time to come here. But your sister helped me move forward. Because of her, I can keep living. She's kind… and in many ways, she reminds me of you."
He lifted his gaze and saw Hari watching him from a distance.
Later, they sat beneath the large tree overlooking the town, the night spread out below them like a quiet promise.
"The view is beautiful at night," Hari said.
"Yeah," Jin-wook replied. "It really is. Thank you for bringing me there… and showing me your sister's grave."
"It was the least I could do," she said. "And… I'm sorry. For lying to you."
He shook his head gently. "It's okay. We all make mistakes."
After a brief pause, Hari extended her hand.
"Friends?"
Jin-wook took it, smiling.
"Friends."