Unbinding Tradition

💞 Dear Diary 💞

Tae sat by the window, the soft glow of the evening sun casting golden patterns on the wooden floor. A gentle breeze rustled the curtains, carrying the faint scent of the blooming jasmine outside.

On her lap rested a small, worn-out book-her diary, the silent keeper of her thoughts, her dreams, and her struggles.

She ran her fingers over its cover, feeling the slight roughness from years of use. With a deep breath, she flipped open the pages, her eyes scanning the familiar ink that carried her past emotions. Each word brought back a memory, each sentence a reflection of the girl she once was.

As she turned the pages, nostalgia swept through her like a rushing tide, pulling her into moments she had almost forgotten. Some pages held her laughter, some her pain, and others her silent battles-ones she had fought alone.

Her fingers paused at the last entry, written the night before her marriage. Her heart clenched as she read each word carefully, as if reliving that night all over again. The nervous excitement, the fear of the unknown, the innocent hopes she had carried into her new life-it was all there, captured in ink.

A soft chuckle escaped her lips. Almost two years now... She had thought she would take this diary with her to her new home, that she would continue writing her thoughts within the walls of Jeon Haveli. But the diary never left this room. It had remained here, untouched, as if waiting for her to return.

Reaching for the pen on the nightstand, Tae held it between her fingers, staring at the blank space on the next page. Then, without hesitation, she pressed the tip to the paper and began writing once again.

"It has been almost two years now since I last wrote in this diary. I still remember the night before my wedding. I was so scared-scared of the person I was going to marry, scared of the family I was going to be bound to, scared of their traditions, and above all, scared of marriage itself.

In these two years, I have learned many things-things that books could never teach, things that life had its own way of showing. I learned how strong a woman must be, even when the world expects her to be weak. I learned that traditions are not always chains; sometimes, they are merely walls waiting to be broken. I learned that even in a place where I felt like an outsider, I could carve out a space that was my own.

Talking about my husband-my Sa... The district collector he is. At first, I thought he would be like every other man, treating me like no one. And I truly believed that in the early months of our marriage. I was so scared of him, and how could I not be? I was just seventeen-so young, so naïve. And he was twenty-seven-matured, composed, and carrying the weight of responsibilities far greater than I could understand.

His scoldings, his anger... it had become a ritual, something I almost started to expect. But as we walked through life together, I realized something-not everyone gets to see the soft side of Jeon Jungkook. Not everyone can unlock that part of him. But I did. And that makes me happy. Because even if it's rare, even if it's fleeting, I know that sometimes, in the quiet moments, he lets me see the man behind the Collector. And that is enough for me.

Jeon Haveli has always been an emotion. More than a home, it has been a battlefield of traditions, duties, and silent sacrifices. The memories it holds are not all sweet; in fact, most of them are bitter. But it is the place that gave me my Sa. It gave me Jiminee-my little sunshine. And now, it is giving me another blessing-our little one, who will soon make it's way into this world.

But now, it is time to part ways. It is not a loss; it is a new beginning. A new battle is about to begin. And for the first time in my life, I do not feel alone anymore. Because I know... there will always be that one person who will stand by my side, no matter what"