2 A.M.
The glow from countless monitors pushed back the darkness in the office.My fingers moved mechanically over the keyboard, but the code on the screen was already starting to blur.
"Hey, Hyunsoo. You pulling another all-nighter?"
I lifted my head at Jihoon's voice from the next desk.He looked exhausted too, though at least a bit better off than I did.
"The deadline's tomorrow. I don't really have a choice."
"Still, you're getting married next month. You should take care of yourself, man."
His words snapped me out of my daze.
The folded wedding hall contract buried deep in my drawer flashed in my mind.March 15th — the wedding with Jiyeon.
Thirty-six years old, and finally getting married.It had taken five years of dating to get here.But my bank balance sat at barely fifty million won.Even with a loan, all I could afford was a semi-basement apartment on the outskirts of Seoul.
The vibration of my phone shattered the silence.It was Jiyeon.
"Oppa, let's meet for lunch tomorrow. I need to talk to you about something important."
A bad feeling crept up my spine.
The next day at lunch.
I met Jiyeon at a café near the wedding hall.The usual brightness on her face was gone, replaced by a heavy shadow.Her fingers fidgeted with the engagement ring again and again.
"What's wrong?"
"Oppa…"
She took a deep breath.
"Let's call off the wedding."
For a moment, I thought I'd misheard her.
"What? What did you just say? The wedding's next month!"
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. But I can't do this anymore."
"Why? We've already booked the hall, sent out invitations, and prepared everything!"
"That's exactly the problem. While preparing for all that, I realized something — we've been living too far from reality."
"What are you talking about?"
"Remember the semi-basement apartment you found in Nowon? Even that place needed a huge loan."
"Everyone starts small. Things will get better with time."
"When?"
Her tone sharpened.
"You said it'll take at least five more years for a promotion. You really think we can raise a child in Seoul on that salary?"
"Jiyeon, we've been together for five years. Why are you saying this now?"
"Because I did wait for five years! I believed you'd make it, that we'd build a better future."
She wiped her tears and continued.
"But while buying furniture, I realized the truth. We can't even afford a proper bed or a new fridge. Everything's secondhand."
"…"
"My mom said love alone doesn't pay the bills. I used to hate hearing that… but now I finally understand."
My chest grew cold.
"So you're seeing Manager Kim now, huh?"
Jiyeon's face turned pale. Her eyes flickered nervously.
"W-What are you talking about…"
"Everyone at work knows. The sales team's Kim — the one with the Benz and the house in Gangnam. It's him, isn't it?"
"No, it's not… we just met a few times for work…"
Even she didn't sound convinced.
"Don't lie. I saw you two having dinner. Then going for a drive."
Jiyeon lowered her head. That was all the confirmation I needed.
"I'm sorry. Really, I am. But Manager Kim can give me a better life. He has an apartment in Gangnam. He's stable."
"So you're breaking off the wedding a month before it happens? What about everyone who already got an invitation?"
"I'll handle it. I'll pay the cancellation fees too."
She slipped off the engagement ring and placed it on the table.Under the fluorescent light, the diamond gleamed coldly.
"You're a good man, oppa. You'll find someone better."
"You say that after five years together?"
She stood up.
"I'm sorry. But I just can't picture living poor anymore."
When she left, only the engagement ring remained.
On the way back to the office, my legs felt like lead.My phone wouldn't stop buzzing — friends, coworkers, everyone asking how the wedding prep was going.
I splashed cold water on my face in the restroom.The reflection staring back was pathetic.
So this is what it's like to be dumped a month before the wedding.
I couldn't focus on work at all.I could feel the eyes around the office — everyone already knew.
"Assistant Manager Ahn Hyunsoo."
The team leader called me over.
"I heard about Jiyeon. The engagement's off?"
"Yes."
"The wedding was next month… what happened?"
"It's personal."
"Still, the whole company knows now. That's why office romances never end well."
All he cared about was the company's image.
"Maybe take a few days off. It'll be awkward seeing each other anyway."
That evening, I started calling everywhere — the wedding hall first.
"I'd like to cancel the reservation."
"Since it's only a month away, you'll lose 70% of your deposit."
"That's fine."
Then the studio, the hanbok shop, the travel agency.Everywhere I called, I had to pay cancellation fees.
Back home, I stared at the wedding gifts we'd prepared — dishes, bedding, towels.Every item brought back a memory of when we'd picked it together.
At 3 A.M., my phone rang.
"Is this Mr. Ahn Hyunsoo? Nephew of Mr. Ahn Cheolgyu?"
The unfamiliar voice jolted me awake.
"Yes, that's me. Who's calling?"
"I'm Sergeant Kim Minwoo from Anmyeon Police Station. I'm very sorry to inform you… your uncle passed away last night from cardiac arrest. He collapsed while fixing his fishing nets."
The phone slipped from my hand.After my parents' passing, he was my only family — the one who'd been so happy about my wedding.Now he was gone.
I was completely alone.
The next morning, I went to see my manager.
"I'd like to take some time off."
"Of course. How long will you need?"
"About a week. I need to handle my uncle's funeral."
"Your uncle too? You've had a rough time."
He looked at me with pity.
I boarded the train at Seoul Station.The gray city slowly gave way to green fields — and then, to the endless blue sea.
I sent a short message to my friends.
[The wedding's canceled. I'll explain later.]
Dozens of replies came flooding in. I ignored them all.I didn't want to talk to anyone.
By the time I arrived at Anmyeon Terminal, it was already five in the afternoon.The salty scent of the sea filled my lungs — bitter, yet strangely nostalgic.
At the terminal exit, I spotted a familiar face: the village head, my uncle's close friend.He raised a hand and smiled sadly.
"Hyunsoo!"
He clapped my shoulder firmly instead of taking my hand.
"You must be heartbroken. It's good you came."
"Thank you, sir."
"Let's go. Load your things onto the truck. We'll head straight to your uncle's place."
We rode in silence for most of the trip.The sea shimmered outside the window, familiar yet distant.
"Was it really sudden? Did he have any heart problems before?"
"None that we knew of. He lived alone and never got checkups."
The village head sighed.
"Cheolgyu was always proud of you, you know. Said his nephew worked for a big company in Seoul."
"There's not much to be proud of, honestly."
"Still, having family means a lot. He didn't show it, but he was lonely."
The golden sunset reflected over the waves as we arrived.
"This is the house."
A small place perched on a hill overlooking the sea.The peeling paint showed its age, but the view could rival any luxury apartment in Gangnam.
"He left a will. The house, the boat, everything — it's all yours."
"He really did that…?"
"Guess he wanted to settle things before it was too late."
Inside, the house was modest.Half-finished meals, an open newspaper, a life of quiet simplicity frozen in time.
After the village head left, I sat alone on the wooden deck outside.The sun dipped below the horizon, and the waves whispered softly.It was a sight no city could offer.
The funeral was small — barely a dozen mourners.A humble farewell for a man who had spent his whole life by the sea.
"Hyunsoo, are you heading back to Seoul now?"
"I'll stay a few more days. There's paperwork to do, and things to sort out."
"Take your time."
During my leave, I stayed in Anmyeon.As I cleaned the house and tended to the small chores, a strange sense of calm washed over me.
Every morning, I drank coffee while watching the sea.In the afternoon, I cleaned and organized.At sunset, I sat outside, watching the sky burn orange.At night, I fell asleep under the stars.
Something miraculous happened — the anxiety that had haunted me in Seoul began to fade.The tightness in my chest, the trembling in my hands, the constant dread… all gone.
What if I just lived here?
The thought came naturally.
What was waiting for me in Seoul, anyway?Endless overtime, an empty apartment, and streets filled with memories of Jiyeon.