Occasionly, when she didn't know how to handle something or someone, he told her what she could do; he had excellent ideas on how to solve problems. They never spoke of Sunja's mother.
At the market, it was strange to see him doing business, for he was this other person when he was with her-he was her friend, her elder brother, the one who'd lift the bundle of laundry from her head when she came to him. "How greacefully you do that," he would remark, admiring how straight and strong her neck was. Once, he touched the nape of her neck lightly with both his thick, square hands, and she sprang from his touch, shocked by the sensation she felt.
She wanted to see him all the time. Who else did he talk to or ask questions of? What did he do in the evening when she was at home serving the lodgers, polishing the low dining tables, or sleeping beside the mother? It felt impossible to ask himk so she kept those questions to herself.
For three monthes, they met in the same way, growing easier in each other's company. When fall arrived, it was brisk and cold by the sea, but Sunja hardly felt the chilly air.
Early September, it rained for five days straight, and when it finally cleared, Yanjin asked Sunja to gather mushrooms ta Taejongdae Forest the following morning. Sunja liked mushroom picking, and as she was about to meet Hansu at the beach, she felt giddy that she could tell him she was going to do something different from her regular chores. He traveled and saw new things often; this was the first time she was doing something out of her normal routine.
In her excitement, she blurted out her plans to pick mushrooms right after breakfast the next day, and Hansu said nothing for a few moments and stared at her pensively.
"Your Hansu-oppa is good at finding mushrooms and wild roots. I know a lot about the ones you can eat and the one you can't. When I was a boy, I spent hours searching for roots and mushrooms. In the spring, I'd look for fernbrake and dry them. Iused to catch rabbits for our dinner with a slingshots. Once, I caught a pair of pheasants before dust-it was first time we had meat in a long time. My father was so delighted!" His face softened.
"We can go together. How much time do you have to get the mushrooms?" he asked.