Minsu felt a strange tightness in her chest. She wanted to ask more, but the headman's expression warned her not to push.
Hyowon crossed his arms. "If this man was so dangerous, why didn't anyone report him? What exactly did he do?"
The headman sighed. "He didn't do anything… directly. But there was something unsettling about him. He didn't act like a lost relative searching for family—he acted like a man chasing a secret."
Minsu's hands clenched into fists. A secret…?
The headman shook his head. "I don't know what he was after. Your aunt was the only one who knew. And now, she's gone."
Minsu exhaled, frustration bubbling inside her. The only person who had answers had disappeared without a trace. But she wasn't going to give up now.
She turned to Hyowon. "We need to find someone else who remembers him. If he was looking for something, maybe he left behind clues."
Hyowon nodded. "Then we ask the villagers. Someone must have seen or heard something."
Minsu took one last look at the headman, whose eyes held a hint of hesitation—or was it fear?—before she and Hyowon stepped out into the village.
The sun was high now, casting long shadows across the dirt paths. The village seemed peaceful, yet under the surface, Minsu couldn't shake the feeling that something was stirring—something connected to her past, her aunt's disappearance, and the man who had returned to find her.
And this time, she wasn't going to let him slip away.
Minsu and Hyowon walked through the village, the midday sun casting warmth over the narrow streets. Yet, despite the ordinary bustle of villagers going about their day, Minsu felt an unease growing in her chest.
She had lived here as a child, but now it felt different—like the past was waiting to unravel itself, thread by thread.
"We should start with the older villagers," Hyowon suggested, his voice steady. "They're more likely to remember something about that man."
Minsu nodded, her thoughts still lingering on the headman's words. A man chasing a secret… What secret? What had her aunt been hiding?
Their first stop was the home of Madam Choi, one of the oldest residents in the village. She was known for her sharp memory and an even sharper tongue.
As they approached her courtyard, they found her sitting beneath a large tree, peeling apples with practiced ease. She looked up, her gaze settling on Minsu with a flicker of recognition.
"Well, well. If it isn't little Minsu," she mused. "I heard you were back."
Minsu managed a polite smile. "Yes, Madam Choi. I was hoping to ask you something."
The old woman raised a brow. "Go on, then."
Minsu hesitated before carefully choosing her words. "Years ago… before my aunt disappeared, a man came to this village looking for her. He looked a lot like me." She studied Madam Choi's reaction. "Do you remember him?"
The knife in Madam Choi's hand paused for a brief moment before she resumed peeling. "I remember many things, child. But some memories are best left untouched."
Minsu's heart pounded. "Please, Madam Choi. I need to know."
The old woman sighed, placing the apple and knife aside. Her gaze grew distant. "He came suddenly, just as suddenly as he left. He asked many questions, but not just about your aunt—about your parents, too."
Minsu stiffened. "My parents?"
Madam Choi nodded. "He wasn't just looking for your aunt. He was searching for something… something tied to your family's past."
Minsu exchanged a glance with Hyowon, who was listening closely.
"What did he want to know?" Minsu pressed.
Madam Choi looked at her carefully before finally saying, "He wanted to know how they died."
Minsu felt the air leave her lungs.
Her parents' deaths had always been a wound she didn't dare touch too deeply. She had been so young, and after their passing, her aunt had taken her in, shielding her from the painful details.
But now, for the first time, Minsu questioned everything she thought she knew.
Why had that man come looking for the truth about their deaths?
And more importantly…
What had he found?
Minsu's hands clenched as the weight of Madam Choi's words settled in her chest. She had never questioned the details of her parents' deaths before—only accepted what little she had been told. An accident, a tragedy, something that no one wanted to talk about.
But if that man had come looking for answers, then maybe… maybe it hadn't been just an accident.
Hyowon was the first to break the silence. "Madam Choi, do you remember anything specific about the questions he asked? Or how he reacted when he heard about their deaths?"
The old woman exhaled slowly. "He wasn't surprised. It was as if he already knew… but he wanted confirmation. He was looking for something else." She narrowed her eyes at Minsu. "Something connected to you."
Minsu's breath hitched. "Me?"
Madam Choi nodded. "After hearing about your parents, he asked about you—where you were, how you were growing up. And that's when your aunt… she changed."
Minsu's heart pounded. "What do you mean?"
"She was already protective of you, but after he came, it was different. She started avoiding questions about you, stopped talking about your parents altogether. And then, one day… she was gone."
A cold shiver ran down Minsu's spine.
Could it be? Had her aunt's disappearance been connected to this man all along?
She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Did he ever say his name?"
Madam Choi hesitated, then shook her head. "No. But I do remember one thing—when he left, he told the headman something strange."
Minsu leaned forward. "What did he say?"
The old woman's voice dropped to a whisper.
"The past always comes back for what was left unfinished."
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken fears.
Minsu swallowed hard, her mind racing.
Her aunt's disappearance. Her parents' deaths. The man who had come looking for answers.
What was unfinished?
And worse…
Was it finally coming back for her?