when the phone rings novel

"Am I really that different from your mother?"

No, it couldn't be... Impossible... Hee-joo listened to the sound of rain falling on the umbrella, anxiously observing her sister. The surgery was a success, and her hearing should be restored now. Why did she look so hollow? Had her sister always given off this impression? An odd sense of dissonance welled up within her. The current Hong In A seemed even more uneasy and fraught with crisis than when they were children.

"But because of you, I truly wanted to come back."

"..."

"Do you really think the position you stole is truly yours?"

This wasn't a question. The barbed words struck Hee-joo precisely.

"Don't misunderstand."

Her hands trembled slightly, almost like a spasm.

"Children only see what they want to see."

In A handed Hee-joo the umbrella. She then stepped outside of its cover, welcoming the falling rain. Hee-joo moved toward her in a panic, but In A shook her head, rejecting her approach. It was a silent refusal.

"You always loved mermaids when you were little."

"..."

The sudden statement caught her off guard.

"But did you ever think about it? Between the two of us—both unable to speak—who is more like the mermaid?"

Hee-joo tried with all her might to understand her sister, but the meaning of her words remained obscure. She had no answer, yet her sister smiled calmly.

"But this isn't you, Hee-joo."

"...!"

Hong In A's eyes shone with a dark intensity. Hostility. Hee-joo, who had always lived as her sister's window, could not fail to sense it. This hostility was too vivid to ignore. A dull pain spread through her chest.

"Even if you exchange your hair for a golden dagger, if you can't pierce the prince's heart, you will be useless in the end."

It was a cryptic statement. But also, somehow, a declaration of war.

"I was late. Sorry. I meant that from the bottom of my heart."

Her sister turned away, unrepentant in the rain.

"All this time, I've asked you many times if you were okay."

She was drenched all day. More than ten missed calls, messages from her sister piling up. But she had no desire to answer any of them.

"Even if I don't put in the effort... maybe divorce would be easy..."

The light drizzle had somehow turned into a storm. If that was the case, shouldn't she be celebrating instead of feeling so down? Hee-joo forced herself to gather her strength and headed to the kitchen. Too drained to cook, she simply opened the refrigerator and grabbed a can of beer.

To break the silence, she turned on the TV. It was showing the president's special address and the Q&A with the Blue House spokesperson.

"Hong In A, reporter from Myeongji Daily."

The moment Hee-joo opened the beer can, she paused. Silently, she found the remote and pressed the mute button, and the world fell silent again. Hee-joo sank weakly into the chair by the large window that overlooked the Han River. She watched the window, continuously beaten by the rain—the downpour reminded her of that day.

The day she decided she wanted a divorce...

"Cheers...!"

Ten at night, a familiar time. Everything seemed meaningless. Idly playing with the phone she used for negotiations, she suddenly recalled the bruises on Baek Sa-eon's nails that she'd seen during the briefing. Not one or two, but several of his nails had been bruised.

'What happened...? What about the goldfish heads?'

Lost in thought, Hee-joo finished her beer and picked up her phone. Maybe this would be the last time they spoke.

——...

"......"

Finally, the call connected, but there was no sound from the other side. Both of them simply breathed quietly. Hee-joo spoke first, her eyes still on the blurred window.

"How was your day...?"

A most ordinary question. I feel strange... almost like I want to cry. And you? She only whispered these words in her mind.

——...

"......"

But the only sound on both ends was the rain. And she found she didn't mind. Thinking this might be their last call made it seem strangely romantic.

——... Since I was young, I've always hated rainy days.

At that moment, a low voice came through.

——Because of the smell of the water, I hate it.

The words struck a familiar chord within her. She vaguely remembered a boy who had said he hated water.

——When I was young, I used to go fishing with my grandfather.

"......"

——He liked fishing, so we often went to the river. Once, I fell in the water...

He suddenly stopped. The storm in her ears—she couldn't tell if it was from her side or his—all she could hear was the fierce rain.

——Since then, I've had nightmares often.

"......"

——I dream of falling into a river of red, sinking deep down.

For the first time, Hee-joo felt like she was entering his heart.

——On the blurred surface, my grandfather looked down at me. Next to him, a little boy just stood there, watching me drown.

Suddenly, thunder roared. Hee-joo shrank her shoulders a little.

——... Maybe I've been afraid my whole life.

"......"

——Afraid of capsizing again.

Hee-joo couldn't fully understand his nightmare, but today, at least in this moment, she wanted to try. Baek Sa-eon had fears similar to hers, and that seemed to bring them closer together.

"It's okay."

——... Then sing me a song.

"What?"

——Sing.

"I can't really sing. Why?"

——When I was young, there was a time I couldn't take it anymore. I hid in a back alley, and a child sang me a nursery rhyme.

"......!"

——That night, the nightmare disappeared.

He gave a dry chuckle.

——Maybe because her voice was beautiful.

"Then go find that kid, why ask me to sing?"

——Because 406 and I have already had sex.

"Cough, cough...!"

His shameless words made her choke.

——If we've even done that, what's singing a song?

"...!"

It reminded her of something she'd forgotten. Right... that's how things were with mistresses. Hee-joo frowned slightly.

"I don't do those kinds of things."

——What kinds of things?

Hee-joo forcefully crushed the empty beer can in her hand.

"Like my father, being manipulated."

...Loving you.

She swallowed back those words.

——Then let's leave it at that.

"...!"

His compliance left Hee-joo momentarily speechless.

—Just live the way you're comfortable.

For no reason, her heart suddenly sank.

—But 406 is so beautiful. Everyone will love you. Even if you don't live the way your father wanted, you need to find someone who can love you just as much.

Something seemed to collapse, weak and unsteady.

—From now on, when you meet a man like that, only accept that kind of love.

Even if I don't live like my father, I should only accept that kind of love? This was something I'd never considered. In a strange way, Baek Sa-eon handed Hee-joo the very thing she had tried to abandon.

Though she held the phone in her hand, it was as if he was reflected in the glass window—a sense of being together. It was a mysterious feeling.

"When are you coming home?"

It was a night when she hoped the storm would continue.

—Now.

Not long after, a man, drenched from head to toe, stepped into the living room. Hee-joo was about to open another can of beer. When she heard the noise and turned around, he was already approaching.

"...!"

On his face was an expression pushed to its limit. It seemed like restraint, yet also like a kind of violence. Because he usually wore a blank expression, this feeling was even more ambiguous. His suit, soaked by rain, and his hair, dripping like ink. His cold breaths and fiery gaze.

Seeing his pale face and lips made Hee-joo's mind swirl. Today, I just happen to be standing here. And so, when the raindrops slid down his lashes, there was an unstoppable urge to reach out and touch. She didn't know who started it first, but their lips collided.

Yes, at least once, I want to have you too. So that I won't feel any regret.

It was a moment mixed with both self-destruction and comfort.

"Mm...!"

To her surprise, his lips trembled slightly. Their pressed bodies felt the intermittent shivering. Yet, their lips pressed even tighter, tongues wildly entangled with each other. Despite his body being cold, his breath was searing. He held Hee-joo tightly, almost clinging to her. There was an inexplicable urgency, a desperation she couldn't fully grasp.

His unease seeped into her, and she remembered that boy crying quietly in the corner. The boy whose hands shook as he cursed in front of young Hee-joo. She hesitated, then wrapped her arms around his broad back. She had thought that boy had long since covered himself in an icy shell, disappearing without a trace.

This time, Hee-joo covered his bloodshot eyes with her small palms.

"...!"

Their joined lips paused for a moment. He shuddered slightly and froze. At this moment, it was all she could do.

"...!"

Suddenly, his strong arms lifted her high. Before she could even be surprised, he found her lips again. The fierce desire made her heart feel like it was going to explode. Before they knew it, they had reached the bedroom, falling onto the bed.

Baek Sa-eon pressed his body on top of hers, almost tearing her shirt off, biting at her collarbone, kissing her forehead, her cheeks, and her nose. The tickling touches made Hee-joo's breathing grow ragged.

"Am I really that different from your mother?"

No, it couldn't be... Impossible... Hee-joo listened to the sound of rain falling on the umbrella, anxiously observing her sister. The surgery was a success, and her hearing should be restored now. Why did she look so hollow? Had her sister always given off this impression? An odd sense of dissonance welled up within her. The current Hong In A seemed even more uneasy and fraught with crisis than when they were children.

"But because of you, I truly wanted to come back."

"..."

"Do you really think the position you stole is truly yours?"

This wasn't a question. The barbed words struck Hee-joo precisely.

"Don't misunderstand."

Her hands trembled slightly, almost like a spasm.

"Children only see what they want to see."

In A handed Hee-joo the umbrella. She then stepped outside of its cover, welcoming the falling rain. Hee-joo moved toward her in a panic, but In A shook her head, rejecting her approach. It was a silent refusal.

"You always loved mermaids when you were little."

"..."

The sudden statement caught her off guard.

"But did you ever think about it? Between the two of us—both unable to speak—who is more like the mermaid?"

Hee-joo tried with all her might to understand her sister, but the meaning of her words remained obscure. She had no answer, yet her sister smiled calmly.

"But this isn't you, Hee-joo."

"...!"

Hong In A's eyes shone with a dark intensity. Hostility. Hee-joo, who had always lived as her sister's window, could not fail to sense it. This hostility was too vivid to ignore. A dull pain spread through her chest.

"Even if you exchange your hair for a golden dagger, if you can't pierce the prince's heart, you will be useless in the end."

It was a cryptic statement. But also, somehow, a declaration of war.

"I was late. Sorry. I meant that from the bottom of my heart."

Her sister turned away, unrepentant in the rain.

"All this time, I've asked you many times if you were okay."

She was drenched all day. More than ten missed calls, messages from her sister piling up. But she had no desire to answer any of them.

"Even if I don't put in the effort... maybe divorce would be easy..."

The light drizzle had somehow turned into a storm. If that was the case, shouldn't she be celebrating instead of feeling so down? Hee-joo forced herself to gather her strength and headed to the kitchen. Too drained to cook, she simply opened the refrigerator and grabbed a can of beer.

To break the silence, she turned on the TV. It was showing the president's special address and the Q&A with the Blue House spokesperson.

"Hong In A, reporter from Myeongji Daily."

The moment Hee-joo opened the beer can, she paused. Silently, she found the remote and pressed the mute button, and the world fell silent again. Hee-joo sank weakly into the chair by the large window that overlooked the Han River. She watched the window, continuously beaten by the rain—the downpour reminded her of that day.

The day she decided she wanted a divorce...

"Cheers...!"

Ten at night, a familiar time. Everything seemed meaningless. Idly playing with the phone she used for negotiations, she suddenly recalled the bruises on Baek Sa-eon's nails that she'd seen during the briefing. Not one or two, but several of his nails had been bruised.

'What happened...? What about the goldfish heads?'

Lost in thought, Hee-joo finished her beer and picked up her phone. Maybe this would be the last time they spoke.

——...

"......"

Finally, the call connected, but there was no sound from the other side. Both of them simply breathed quietly. Hee-joo spoke first, her eyes still on the blurred window.

"How was your day...?"

A most ordinary question. I feel strange... almost like I want to cry. And you? She only whispered these words in her mind.

——...

"......"

But the only sound on both ends was the rain. And she found she didn't mind. Thinking this might be their last call made it seem strangely romantic.

——... Since I was young, I've always hated rainy days.

At that moment, a low voice came through.

——Because of the smell of the water, I hate it.

The words struck a familiar chord within her. She vaguely remembered a boy who had said he hated water.

——When I was young, I used to go fishing with my grandfather.

"......"

——He liked fishing, so we often went to the river. Once, I fell in the water...

He suddenly stopped. The storm in her ears—she couldn't tell if it was from her side or his—all she could hear was the fierce rain.

——Since then, I've had nightmares often.

"......"

——I dream of falling into a river of red, sinking deep down.

For the first time, Hee-joo felt like she was entering his heart.

——On the blurred surface, my grandfather looked down at me. Next to him, a little boy just stood there, watching me drown.

Suddenly, thunder roared. Hee-joo shrank her shoulders a little.

——... Maybe I've been afraid my whole life.

"......"

——Afraid of capsizing again.

Hee-joo couldn't fully understand his nightmare, but today, at least in this moment, she wanted to try. Baek Sa-eon had fears similar to hers, and that seemed to bring them closer together.

"It's okay."

——... Then sing me a song.

"What?"

——Sing.

"I can't really sing. Why?"

——When I was young, there was a time I couldn't take it anymore. I hid in a back alley, and a child sang me a nursery rhyme.

"......!"

——That night, the nightmare disappeared.

He gave a dry chuckle.

——Maybe because her voice was beautiful.

"Then go find that kid, why ask me to sing?"

——Because 406 and I have already had sex.

"Cough, cough...!"

His shameless words made her choke.

——If we've even done that, what's singing a song?

"...!"

It reminded her of something she'd forgotten. Right... that's how things were with mistresses. Hee-joo frowned slightly.

"I don't do those kinds of things."

——What kinds of things?

Hee-joo forcefully crushed the empty beer can in her hand.

"Like my father, being manipulated."

...Loving you.

She swallowed back those words.

——Then let's leave it at that.

"...!"

His compliance left Hee-joo momentarily speechless.

—Just live the way you're comfortable.

For no reason, her heart suddenly sank.

—But 406 is so beautiful. Everyone will love you. Even if you don't live the way your father wanted, you need to find someone who can love you just as much.

Something seemed to collapse, weak and unsteady.

—From now on, when you meet a man like that, only accept that kind of love.

Even if I don't live like my father, I should only accept that kind of love? This was something I'd never considered. In a strange way, Baek Sa-eon handed Hee-joo the very thing she had tried to abandon.

Though she held the phone in her hand, it was as if he was reflected in the glass window—a sense of being together. It was a mysterious feeling.

"When are you coming home?"

It was a night when she hoped the storm would continue.

—Now.

Not long after, a man, drenched from head to toe, stepped into the living room. Hee-joo was about to open another can of beer. When she heard the noise and turned around, he was already approaching.

"...!"

On his face was an expression pushed to its limit. It seemed like restraint, yet also like a kind of violence. Because he usually wore a blank expression, this feeling was even more ambiguous. His suit, soaked by rain, and his hair, dripping like ink. His cold breaths and fiery gaze.

Seeing his pale face and lips made Hee-joo's mind swirl. Today, I just happen to be standing here. And so, when the raindrops slid down his lashes, there was an unstoppable urge to reach out and touch. She didn't know who started it first, but their lips collided.

Yes, at least once, I want to have you too. So that I won't feel any regret.

It was a moment mixed with both self-destruction and comfort.

"Mm...!"

To her surprise, his lips trembled slightly. Their pressed bodies felt the intermittent shivering. Yet, their lips pressed even tighter, tongues wildly entangled with each other. Despite his body being cold, his breath was searing. He held Hee-joo tightly, almost clinging to her. There was an inexplicable urgency, a desperation she couldn't fully grasp.

His unease seeped into her, and she remembered that boy crying quietly in the corner. The boy whose hands shook as he cursed in front of young Hee-joo. She hesitated, then wrapped her arms around his broad back. She had thought that boy had long since covered himself in an icy shell, disappearing without a trace.

This time, Hee-joo covered his bloodshot eyes with her small palms.

"...!"

Their joined lips paused for a moment. He shuddered slightly and froze. At this moment, it was all she could do.

"...!"

Suddenly, his strong arms lifted her high. Before she could even be surprised, he found her lips again. The fierce desire made her heart feel like it was going to explode. Before they knew it, they had reached the bedroom, falling onto the bed.

Baek Sa-eon pressed his body on top of hers, almost tearing her shirt off, biting at her collarbone, kissing her forehead, her cheeks, and her nose. The tickling touches made Hee-joo's breathing grow ragged.