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‘Drink this up. And forget all about it.’ 

“It was Park Won-jun. A poster with him holding a can of beer and smiling brightly was posted on the store door. He walked out of the poster as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Hyeon-su, do you believe me? Of course not. No one can. But it doesn’t matter. That was just between me and him.” 

‘Rub the necklace. I will find you wherever you are.’ 

“He appeared in front of me whenever I rubbed that necklace. He said he liked my good-natured disposition. He said being nice is not the same as being stupid, that those who exploit my good nature are the bad ones.”

‘시원하게 한 잔 마셔요.  그리고 다 잊어버려요’ 

“박원준이었어.

맥주캔을 들고 환히 웃는 그 이의 포스터가 가게 문짝에 붙어 있었던 거야.

거기서, 그 포스터에서, 그이가 자연스럽게 걸어 나왔어.

현수씨, 내 말 믿을 수 있어?

믿을 수 없겠지, 누구도.

아무래도 괜찮아. 이건 그이와 나만의 일이니까”

‘목걸이를 문질러요.  당신이 어디 있든 내가 찾아갈테니’ 

”목걸이를 문지를 때마다 그는 내 앞에 나타났어.

그는 내가 착해서 좋다고 했어.

착한 건 바보스러운 게 아니라 그냥 착한 거라고 했어.

그런 걸 이용해 먹는 사람들이 나쁘다고 했어. ”

Interview by literature critic Jeon So-yeong

Yang-mi is a very nice girl, which makes her situation so heartbreaking. She works hard and supports her family all by herself. But she never gets anything in return. Deep in her consciousness, she was certainly exhausted from making all those sacrifices and she a thirst for a life of her own. Her suppressed desires created an illusion of Park Won-jun, much like the Genie called out of a magic lamp.

pending money for herself naturally led to less money left for her parents. Yang-mi was afraid that her father would resort to physical violence like he used to during her childhood. 

“But what was strange was that they started treating me better. I casually mentioned that my room was too small and my father cautiously suggested that I take the master bedroom. Mom is acting even stranger. She was so stingy that she only gave me kimchi and bean sprouts to eat on my day off but now she gives me meat.”

본인을 위해 돈을 쓰느라 당연히 집에 내놓는 생활비가 줄어들었습니다.

양미는 혹시 아버지가 어릴때처럼 자신을 때릴지도 모른다고 생각했습니다.

“그런데 희한하지.  가족들이 내 눈치를 보는거야.

방이 작다고 무심코 던진 한 마디에 아버지가 조심스레 말하는 거야.

좁으면 안방이랑 바꾸든지.

엄마는 더 웃겨.

휴일 한 끼 밥을 먹는데도 땡전 한 푼 없다며

김치에 콩나물도 아까워하던 엄마가,

내 상에 고기반찬을 내놓는 거야”

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Yun Young-su (Born in Seoul, Aug. 26, 1952)

: Debuted with short story “Ecology Observation” in 1990

Won the 23rd Manhae Literature Prize in 2008, etc.