The soft chime of a bell rang out. Hanging beneath an owl carving, the wind chime swayed in the breeze, producing a clear, delicate sound. That familiar chime, heard every now and then, stirred faint memories.
“Yeah…”
Yu-jin quickly cleared his throat at the weight in his own voice. Reaching out cautiously, his fingers brushed against the long wind catcher hanging down. The plate, which had been swaying slowly in the wind, came to a stop the moment he touched it. The chime, too, faded, leaving behind only its lingering echo. Silence quickly settled around them. But as soon as Yu-jin pulled his hand away, the wind catcher moved again, and another soft chime rang out.
“It’s so pretty, so, so pretty.”
Angela murmured in a dazed voice from below. Seeing the child utterly mesmerized by the wind chime, Yu-jin let out a bitter smile. It was as if the chime had stolen all of his daughter’s attention, yet it remained an unattainable dream. After all, nothing here belonged to Yu-jin.
Bending down on one knee to meet the child’s gaze, he spoke.
“I’ll get you an even prettier one next time, Angie.”
Empty promises were all he could offer his daughter. He desperately wanted to give Angela everything, but reality was unforgiving. Despite experiencing far too many disappointments at such a young age, his daughter didn’t blame him for yet another meaningless promise. She simply nodded and answered with a small “Okay.”
“When we get our own house, hang it on my bedroom door.”
“Alright.”
A wind chime won’t ring without the wind. But that didn’t matter. Yu-jin nodded without hesitation. What did it matter if the chime never made a sound? As long as Angela was happy.
“When will you get your inheritance, Daddy?”
Angela suddenly asked. It took a moment before Yu-jin remembered the lie he had told her. Damn. He inwardly cursed his mistake but forced a smile.
“Buying a house is going to take some time. We’ll have to stay here a little longer.”
“Why?”
She immediately frowned and tilted her head in confusion. How should he explain this? Yu-jin hesitated, but it was something he would have to face eventually. He couldn’t keep avoiding telling his daughter the truth about their situation.
“Well, that is….”
He paused, searching for the right words.
“It takes time to process a will. That’s why.”
In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to say that he was getting married. He barely managed to give a vague response, but Angela immediately asked another question.
“Then how long do we have to wait?”
Again, the answer didn’t come easily. Yu-jin hesitated before trailing off.
“I don’t know… at least a few months…”
Angela’s expression visibly fell. She was more mature than other children her age, but at the end of the day, she was still just a child. Yu-jin felt guilty and was about to comfort her, but Angela quickly perked up again.
“Alright, so we just have to wait, right?”
“Yeah.”
Angela, seemingly reassured by Yu-jin’s answer, hugged him tightly. Just as he was about to return the embrace, she once again stole his moment.
“Daddy, what is this place?”
She pulled away just as quickly and looked up at him expectantly. Yu-jin let his half-raised hands drop and gave a wry smile.
“This is where I used to live.”
“You? Here?”
Angela’s eyes grew wide with curiosity. She turned her head, glancing around the area, taking in every detail with fascination. Seeing her interest, Yu-jin added,
“I lived here for a little while when I was younger. Before you were born.”
“Really?”
Angela’s voice shot up in excitement. Unable to contain herself, she started dashing around, peeking through the dust-covered windows on tiptoe in an attempt to see inside. When that failed, she gave up and began circling the mansion instead.
“Don’t go too far, Angie!”
Yu-jin called out in concern. Angela turned her head and answered with a simple, “Okay,” before suddenly asking,
“Is this where you met Papa?”
“…Yeah.”
Yu-jin couldn’t quite hide the awkwardness in his voice, but he chose to answer honestly.
“And this is where I had you.”
“For real?!”
Angela practically jumped in shock, eyes wide with disbelief. Yu-jin let out a dry chuckle and nodded.
“Yeah. I met Papa here… and we had you.”
“That’s amazing!”
Angela let out a shriek of excitement and suddenly bolted toward the door. She grabbed the handle and tried to push it open, but of course, it was locked. The door didn’t budge, only letting out an unpleasant creak of protest. Momentarily disappointed, Angela quickly regained her enthusiasm and sprinted in the opposite direction, eager to explore.
This time, Yu-jin didn’t bother stopping her. There was nowhere for her to go, anyway. Other than the old annex he used to stay in, there was nothing else in this area.
Ha…
A bitter sigh escaped him. Descending the few steps leading down from the house, he took a slow look around. He had never thought he’d come back here. It had been years, but his body still remembered—his feet had carried him here without hesitation.
Yu-jin slowly surveyed his surroundings. Forgotten memories rushed back all at once, so vivid that they might as well have happened yesterday.
“Yu-jin.”
A boy’s voice called out his name, bright and cheerful.
Beneath his feet, the soft grass rustled. Lowering his gaze, he saw countless clover leaves stretching out before him. Almost instinctively, he crouched down and plucked one. Three leaves. Yu-jin sat there, staring at it in his palm.
Back then, there was nothing else to do but sit on the ground and idly look at clovers. He had tried, over and over, to find a four-leaf one, hoping to pass the time. But no matter how hard he searched, they always eluded him.
Maybe this time, he would find one.
If he found one, he would give it to Angela. That thought lingered in Yu-jin’s mind as he carefully parted the clover leaves with his fingers, searching for a hidden anomaly among them.
Suddenly, it felt as if he had been transported back to that day long ago. A day when he sat there endlessly sifting through clovers, feeling so utterly pathetic and alone that tears welled in his eyes.
Sensing a presence, Yu-jin instinctively lifted his head.
Just like back then, the boy sat atop a horse, gazing down at him.
Is he a prince?
That was Yu-jin’s first thought upon seeing him. It was the only way to explain it. The boy sitting proudly on a magnificent black horse was breathtaking. His gleaming shirt and finely tailored trousers set him apart from anyone Yu-jin had ever met. And his amber eyes—like expertly cut gemstones—only made Yu-jin’s heart race even more.
As he stared, entranced, the boy spoke first.
“Are you looking for a four-leaf clover?”
At that moment, the tears that had been brimming in Yu-jin’s eyes spilled over, trickling down his cheeks.
The boy’s eyes widened in shock. Embarrassed, Yu-jin hastily wiped his face and turned away, his back now facing him. An awkward silence stretched between them.
Yu-jin stubbornly kept his back turned, but the boy was the first to break the silence.
“I’m Winston Campbell.”
His voice, still untouched by puberty, wavered slightly.
“What’s your name?”
Yu-jin hesitantly turned his head, meeting the boy’s steady gaze. That unwavering stare made him tense, but strangely, his chest was filled with an unfamiliar fluttering excitement.
His lips parted, trembling as much as his voice when he finally answered.
“I’m…”
***
“Yu-jin.”
Winston silently repeated the name in his mouth, savoring it like a secret. It was a name so sweet that it felt as if his tongue might melt the moment he spoke it aloud. He said nothing, only watching Yu-jin in silence.
It was the same kind of silence as back then, yet different. Yu-jin, too, hesitated to speak.
A cool breeze stirred the wind chime, sending a clear, ringing sound between them. The chime echoed through the quiet space, slicing through the moment like a reminder of reality. It was only then that Yu-jin snapped out of his daze.
Where’s Angie?
She shouldn’t be wandering around alone.
Worry crept in, quickly followed by unease. Never, not even once, had he expected to run into Winston here. He had been so careful, taking every precaution to avoid any possibility of Angela crossing paths with him—yet now, of all places, this ridiculous situation had unfolded.
His heart pounded anxiously, afraid that at any moment, Angela might come running back.
“…What are you doing here?”
Unlike back then, Yu-jin spoke first this time. His voice was steady, without the slightest tremor.
As he quietly exhaled in relief at his own composure, Winston, still seated on his horse, looked down at him and replied.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? I thought I told you this place is no longer in use.”
