to spread the mats and comforters on the ground, waiting for Min’s answer.
“They’re my brothers,” he finally said.
“I thought you said you only had one brother and one sister.”
“You must’ve heard wrong.”
Suddenly, she heard the flick of a match, illuminating Min’s face for a second as he lit his cigarette.
“How old are they?” she asked.
“Chung-Ho is seventeen, Du-Ho is ten, and In-Ho is eight. And then there’s Na-yeong, my sister, and she’s fourteen.”
“So you have three brothers and a sister,” noted Soo-Ja, surprised.
“Two sisters. Seon-ae left when she turned eighteen.”
“Where is she?”
“Who knows.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had such a big family?” she asked, without moving.
“Are you getting the blankets ready?”
“Almost. You should have told me, Min.”
“I couldn’t risk it. I didn’t want you to slip away from my hands.”
“Like a bird, you mean?” Soo-Ja asked, half joking. She was on the floor now, unfolding the blanket and spreading it out to four corners.
“I can’t believe it. It’s done. I got you here,” said Min to himself, as he lit another match and watched it burn. His voice sounded completely foreign, as if he’d been using an accent and had finally dropped it. His features, too, seemed to rearrange themselves, returning to some earlier, previously unseen mold.
“What’s done?”
“My parents didn’t think I could find a wife. Because of my… poor economic prospects. But they underestimated the power of looks. Parents do that. They never know when their kid’s handsome.”
“I didn’t marry you for your looks,” said Soo-Ja sternly.
“Did you see my friends’ faces? Did you see how envious they were? Nobody thought I could do it. Nobody believed in me.”
Soo-Ja was done arranging the mats and pillows on the floor. Though she could not see Min well, she could tell from his movements that he’d taken his shirt and pants off before he slipped under the comforter in his undershirt and long pajama bottoms. She did not join him.
Instead, she leaned her back against the wall and stayed there, listening to the hum of his inhaling and exhaling the cigarette smoke. Min did not call for her or demand that she join him, as if he were already spent, as if the important act had already taken place, and all he wanted to do was rest and revel in its aftermath.
“I did it. I got you.”
“And I got you,” said Soo-Ja, trying to sound casual.
Min laughed, as if she were a fool. “Yes. That’s what you got.”
Soo-Ja was still bothered by Min lying to her about how many siblings he had. “Was there anything else you lied to me about?” She realized this might sound harsh, but Min did not seem to notice. Strange talk for one’s wedding night.
“I couldn’t take the risk of you bolting. If you knew I had five siblings, you’d never have agreed to marry me.”
“I never thought about your family much. I always knew we’d leave them and go to Seoul, just the two of us,” said Soo-Ja, tasting the anticipation in her lips.
“I don’t know what gave you that idea,” said Min, his voice sounding like metal. “We belong here, with my parents. It is our job to serve them.”
Soo-Ja felt as if the air were being squeezed out of her lungs. “But you said you’re going with me to Seoul,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. “To start my training as a diplomat. You said you’d let me—”
“I never said anything like that,” said Min, a little too quickly, almost snapping at her. “Why would I?”
“I thought… You told me…” said Soo-Ja, her heart sinking.
“Are you talking about that letter your father gave me?” asked Min.
“My father?” asked Soo-Ja, her jaw dropping. “He gave you that—”
“Yes, but I threw it away. Pieces of paper like that are dangerous. They give you paper cuts.”
Soo-Ja felt the room begin to whirl around her, and she had to reach against the wall to remain steady. Soo-Ja realized how badly she had misjudged Min. He would never let her go to diplomat school. He would never support her goals. She had imagined she could live outside her own time and place, free from the same gravity that bound everyone else. But she’d been wrong.
“What did my father tell you when he gave you that letter?” asked Soo-Ja.
“Your father is not like mine,” said Min, not answering her question. “Once my father makes a decision, he sticks with it. Is this how it’s always been for you? He says no to you, and then he feels