Interlude 1

Fall 2003

(A/N: In the year of 2003, Song Na Ri is 7 years old and Song Woo Jin is 6 years old. Their mother Lee Hye Jin is 25 years old and their father Song Kwan So is 26 years old)

On a warm summer evening, a small family was busy preparing the dinner in the small and cozy house. At least the mother was busy preparing the dinner, while the children where a lot busier arguing with each other, causing a fuss over nothing and stressing out poor Lee Hye Jin who only prayed that her husband would be home from work soon.

"Na Ri, stop arguing with your brother and play happily together instead!" Hye Jin yelled from the kitchen as she kept getting distracted by the constant turbulence going on in the living room.

"But Woo Jin drew on my school books!" Na Ri yelled back in anger.

"Woo Jin, sweetie," Hye Jin said in a loving, yet firm voice as she looked directly at her son, "you can't draw on your sister's books. She'll get in trouble because of you."

"I didn't!" Woo Jin lied to get out of trouble and he could almost feel the temperature rise in Na Ri's body as he stood next to her.

"LIAR!" she yelled directly at him.

"AM NOT!" Woo Jin yelled back.

"MOM, Woo Jin is lying!" Na Ri turned to her mother once again, hoping to get some kind of assistance or back-up.

"Woo Jin, don't lie to your sister," Hye Jin just said with her back against them while she continued stirring the gravy.

When Na Ri realized her mother was of no help, she just let out a sigh and was about to leave it be, but just then she saw her brother stick out her tongue while making a hideous face at her.

"STOP IT!" Na Ri yelled and took a step closer to Woo Jin, looking awfully intimidating.

"YOU STOP IT!" Woo Jin yelled back.

"HEY!" The loud and angry voice of their mother who had lost the last bit of her patience, brought both children out of their argument as they turned to look at her.

"Either you two stop this right now or I'll send the both you to bed without any dinner."

Na Ri and Woo Jin immediately lowered their heads and looked as regretful as they could while quietly whispering:

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry, mom."

"It's okay," Hye Jin said, "now just try to keep it down until your father comes home."

And as if on cue, the sound of the door opening, made all three turn silent as they watched Kwan So walk inside and take off his shoes and overcoat.

"DAD!" Na Ri yelled and hurried out to the hallway where she ran directly into her father's embrace.

"Well, if it isn't my little princess!" Kwan So said with a smile and a laugh as he hugged Na Ri tightly, "now tell me, how was school today?"

"Good, I got a lot of praise from my teacher," Na Ri said proudly after letting go of her father, "she says she wants to give me extra assignments because I'm already ahead in my class."

"I knew you'd do well, you're my little genius, aren't you?" Kwan So said and rubbed his forehead against Na Ri's.

The sound of someone clearing their throat suddenly interrupted the otherwise perfect moment between father and daughter. Kwan So looked up and found his wife hovering over the two with a raised eyebrow.

"Do I not deserve any greeting at all?" she said and Kwan So quickly got up from the floor.

"I'm sorry," Kwan So said and gave Hye Jin a quick peck on her lips.

"It's okay, welcome home honey," Hye Jin said and sent her husband a loving smile, "how was your day?"

"Stressful, as always," Kwan So said with a sigh, "sometimes I think I shouldn't have gone into medicine after we found out you were pregnant."

"Nonsense!" Hye Jin said, "you always dreamed of becoming a doctor and besides, we make things work, don't we?"

"I guess we do," Kwan So said, but with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Dad, dad!" Woo Jin said and raised his arms up high, hoping to get a hug from his father.

"Oh my, I completely forgot to say hello to you," Kwan So said and picked up Woo Jin.

"Dad, can you play something on the piano for us?" Woo Jin said and looked at his father with big puppy eyes.

"Oh... well..." Kwan So said while sighing, feeling how every muscle in his body was begging for rest.

"Come on, please play for us daddy!" Na Ri said while tugging on Kwan So's sleeve and looking up at him.

"Alright then!" Kwan So said and put down Woo Jin, "but only if you sing along."

"Yay!" Na Ri and Woo Jin said in union while following their father to the piano.

Kwan So sat down on the old and uncomfortable piano chair whereafter he stretched out his fingers and then gently laid them on the keys. He took in a deep breath and then turned his head and looked at Na Ri, signaling for her to be ready before he pressed down the first key.

His fingers moved effortlessly over the piano's keys and even though the piano was old and tuneless, it still gave off a magical sound when the melodies and the voices of Na Ri and Woo Jin all melted together in the small house. Even Hye Jin who was a bit annoyed about Kwan So leaving her alone in the kitchen, felt comforted by the lovely tunes and she slowly started humming along even without noticing it herself. She turned her head for a second and looked at the three people she loved the most in the whole world, all together in happiness and joy. It almost looked like a picture postcard, something too good to be true.

Just then, Hye Jin's joyful moment was interrupted when she heard the sound of a phone bussing, a sound that definitely wasn't coming from her own phone.

"Honey, someone keeps texting you, it might be important!" Hye Jin yelled and Kwan So stopped playing abruptly which made both Na Ri and Woo Jin sigh in displeasure.

"I'll be right be," he said and quickly stroke Na Ri across her cheek before leaving the living room.

Hye Jin went to the table to get Kwan So's phone for him, but just as she picked up the phone, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Something she couldn't quite believe at first, though it was also something she couldn't dismiss either. But before she got the chance to take a better look, Kwan So swooped in from behind and grabbed the phone from her hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you were right, this is important so I will go upstairs and make a call," he said after looking at the caller ID, "it's my boss."

"Ok sure, go ahead," Hye Jin said and watched Kwan So disappear upstairs.

As Hye Jin stayed behind in the kitchen, her mind was going in circles and the more she thought about it, the stranger it felt. She definitely hadn't seen it wrong, she was sure of it. But if what she saw was really true, all she could think about was one thing.

Why would Kwan So's boss send a message using 'hearts'?

Hello everyone!

I hope you enjoyed this interlude. I know it was short, but that was the intention. A quick look into Na Ri's past. Please let me know if you liked it.

Remember to stay warm and eat healthy and take care of yourself. Stay safe.

Also, don't forget to leave a comment down below.

Love, Annalise~