KakiCanary
Stories
1
Chapters
10
Words
17.1 K
Comments
0
Reading
1 h, 25 m
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The karaoke machine whirred nonstop, as if it were about to suck up all the electricity in this town. Using the elders’ singing as background music, Sowon gnawed at the meat from a boiled pig’s head. She drank the makgeolli they kept pouring for her—one bowl, then two—and before she knew it, empty containers were lined up beside her in a row. She had tagged along half-reluctantly, thinking she might wash away her gloomy mood with alcohol, but whether it was the noisy atmosphere or the alcohol…-
17.1 K • Ongoing
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“Who even cares about that these days? The person who’s good at it should do it.” Scrape, scrape. Kangjun began peeling the chamoe with practiced ease, and after exchanging glances, the grandmothers chimed in. “That’s right, that’s right. Whoever’s good at it should do it.” “True. Even my daughter-in-law can’t do it that well, so my son does it all.” The peel came off in a smooth, even thickness, revealing the bright yellow flesh beneath. How is he that good with a…
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17.1 K • Ongoing
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Kangjun’s chili field was unnecessarily systematic and unnecessarily aligned in perfect rows. Maybe the grandmothers’ jokes had burrowed deep into her brain, because impure thoughts kept invading her mind. “This chili has a weak waist, so you have to secure it tightly with a string.” Was he trying to make up for real sexual inadequacy through chili farming? If that wasn’t it, he didn’t even seem like someone in sales—so how could he be this passionate about growing…
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17.1 K • Ongoing
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bzzzt. bzzzt. Sowon’s phone rang loudly as she returned to the annex. Throwing herself onto the sofa, she checked the caller ID with a noticeably lighter heart. “Why?” Lowering her voice on purpose, she asked what it was about. From the speaker came a gentle voice. —“Oh, Sowoi? I just finished. Should I come pick you up now? I’m off tomorrow.” Aunt Miseon went on and on—about how truly sorry she was, how work had been so busy she forgot to pass the message along, how she…
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17.1 K • Ongoing
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Sowon stared so hard at the familiar combination of letters that she nearly dropped the pot. She set the pot and the paper bag containing the T-shirt on the wooden platform. Eyes wide, she checked the tag again, but that didn’t change anything. Attached to Kangjun’s T-shirt was the label of an Italian luxury brand Sowon knew very well. A brand that competed with nothing but fabric and silhouette—no flashy logo play. ‘Is this real…?’ she thought. Steeling herself, Sowon pulled out…
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17.1 K • Ongoing
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A high-performance fan whirred loudly as it spun. Fresh out of the shower with a towel twisted around her head, Sowon crouched in front of her suitcase and stared blankly around the room. Had this been used as a study? The living room wall of the detached annex—complete with one bedroom, a narrow kitchen, and a bathroom—was packed floor to ceiling with books. A flicker of guilt rose at the thought that she might have taken over someone’s hobby space, but he had been the one not to refuse…
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17.1 K • Ongoing
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“Pardon?” Sowon doubted her ears. If it were true, then she had just learned a secret she was never meant to hear—but the village elders nodded along as if it were nothing. “He’s a eunuch. A eunuch.” At that, Grandma Eulnyeon, the oldest resident of the village, who had been quietly sipping tea throughout the meeting, lifted her head. “Aigoo… how did a young man end up like that? A man who farms chili peppers with no chili pepper of his own—what’s he supposed to…
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17.1 K • Ongoing
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“Is that Sowoi?” As soon as she got down from the truck, Gu Jonggil, the village head, who had been fanning himself on the wooden platform in front of the community hall, opened his eyes wide. “What’re you doin’ comin’ with Kangjui?” He tossed aside his fan and came hurrying over, taking the suitcases Kangjun was pulling from the trunk. “Why d’you two look like that?” It was a complicated question to explain. Sowon shot Kangjun a subtle glance, but he was busy unloading…
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17.1 K • Ongoing
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“Um, actually, I’m not the kind of person who just goes around asking people for favors.” Sowon gave an awkward smile and slung her handbag over one shoulder. Perhaps the sudden change in her attitude seemed suspicious, because Kangjun narrowed his eyes slightly. “Given the circumstances… would you mind taking off your boots? As you can see, I’m wearing heels….” She flicked her gaze from her glossy shoes to the rubber boots half-buried in the muddy rice paddy. He ran a hand through…
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17.1 K • Ongoing
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<Woo Kangjun Observation Log – Day 1> Is that man really a eunuch…? People aren’t mistaken, right? No, being a eunuch while farming chili peppers is just too tragic. No matter how I think about it, what I saw was a Pringles can… I guess I’ll have to observe him more closely from now on. *** The beginning of her return to Songhwa Village was the worst possible start. After the record-breaking monsoon had passed, nothing remained but soggy mud and collapsed roads. ━Due to…
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17.1 K • Ongoing
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