The Way I Loved You

Until the First Snow

Haein had never been one to believe in superstition. If her mother's ridiculous obsession with using it as a tool to blame Haein for everything wasn't enough to turn her off, the fact that it was completely baseless and hence a waste of time made her turn her nose up at it. Yet, she found herself dyeing her pinky nail a bright red, a colour that she would normally disapprove of since it wasn't classy enough for her taste. Well, it was a good thing that she wouldn't be attending charity galas anytime soon.

That morning, she had been taking her daily walk around the house when she overheard the conversation between the village ladies. They were crowded around the table, chattering as always, but her curiosity was pricked when she saw the array of flowers.

"Haein ah! Come sit. They heard all about your surgery and were happy for you." Miseon called out when she noticed her peeking around the corner.

Now that she was starting to get closer to them, Haein sat down comfortably, no longer feeling as alienated as she did when she first arrived. Immediately, she was showered with words of congratulations, which she soaked up gratefully. It still fascinated her how everyone in Yongduri was so invested in each other's lives, being genuinely happy for each other in times of good fortune.

"Thank you. By the way, what were you doing?" She peered at the vibrant shade of veridian.

"Right. Have you done this before? Dyeing your nails with balsam?"

"No." She didn't know there was such a thing. She'd only ever gotten her nails done at salons, not that she painted her nails very often anyway since she preferred a natural colour.

"Legend has it that if your nails are still coloured by the first snow, your first love will come true. That's why Bangsil here always dyes hers in the fall, not summer." She joked.

"How romantic." Haein nodded in acknowledgement.

"Actually, I'd say she has an ulterior motive." She added conspiratorily.

"I wouldn't say it's an ulterior motive." Bangsil protested. "He happens to be divorced."

"Hey!" The other ladies turned their heads so quickly that she couldn't treat her words as a passing comment.

Divorced? Don't tell me... she's talking about Hyunwoo?

"I didn't feel like this before, but we've been running into each other often lately. So my feelings..." She trailed off, unapologetically.

"Shut that mouth of yours. That's enough."

Worried that the heiress might just tear her to shreds for having her eyes on her ex husband, they were quick to stop her before things could escalate.

"I guess I was too blunt. I hope you're not offended, Ms Hong."

"Why would I be?" Haein replied boldly. She had no reason to feel offended, not when she knew with all the confidence in the world that Hyunwoo had eyes for nobody but her. There was no need to feel threatened by another woman's affection, as long as Hyunwoo wasn't foolish enough to respond to it.

"You see, Hyunwoo used to flirt a lot with me at church back when he was in high school. They used to hand out snacks at church, and he'd always give me more than one in front of everyone."

Hyunwoo in highschool? Now that was just outrageous. He was so handsome back then! Even if she didn't own the sole rights to admire her ex husband, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of possessiveness, a desire to keep that view to herself. She could imagine him with all his boyish charm, slightly rough along the edges but as sweet and genuine as he could be. The idea of him attracting someone else with that charm made her stomach churn.