Chapter 2 – A Promise from the Past
948 Words
Seven years earlier.
The rain had been falling since morning.
Cold wind moved through the narrow streets of the town, and most people had already closed their stalls for the day. Only a few vendors remained, trying to sell what they could before night arrived.
Jin Woo sat quietly under the wooden roof of a small tea shop, holding an old book in his hands.
But he wasn’t reading.
His eyes were fixed on the same page for a long time.
The words were beginning to blur.
He sighed softly and closed the book.
His stomach hurt with hunger.
He had spent the little money he had left on ink and paper two days ago.
Food would have to wait.
Across the street, people walked quickly to avoid the rain.
Some were laughing. Some were arguing. Life continued normally for everyone.
Except him.
Jin Woo looked down at his hands.
Thin. Tired.
What was the point of all this studying?
The Gwageo was known as the hardest test in the entire nation. Thousands of scholars tried every year, and only a few passed.
Many studied their whole lives and still failed.
What chance did someone like him have?
A poor scholar with no powerful family.
No connections.
No support.
Maybe he had been foolish to dream so big.
Just then—
“Excuse me.”
A gentle voice interrupted his thoughts.
Jin Woo looked up.
A young woman was standing near the tea shop entrance, holding a wooden tray covered with cloth.
Rain had soaked the edges of her simple dress, but she didn’t seem to mind.
Her eyes were warm and bright.
“Are you still studying?” she asked kindly.
Jin Woo blinked.
“I… was.”
The girl tilted her head slightly.
“You come here every day,” she said. “But I never see you eat anything.”
Jin Woo felt a little embarrassed.
“It’s nothing,” he replied quickly. “I’m fine.”
The girl didn’t look convinced.
She stepped closer and placed the tray on the table.
When she lifted the cloth, the smell of warm rice and soup filled the air.
Jin Woo’s stomach reacted immediately.
The girl smiled.
“I made too much food today,” she said casually. “If I take it home, it will only go to waste.”
Jin Woo stared at the bowl.
Hot rice.
Fresh vegetables.
Soup.
Real food.
But he shook his head.
“I can’t accept this.”
The girl crossed her arms.
“Why not?”
“I don’t have money to pay you.”
She laughed softly.
“I didn’t ask for money.”
Jin Woo hesitated.
The girl pushed the bowl closer to him.
“Eat,” she said gently. “A hungry scholar cannot think properly.”
Jin Woo looked at her again.
She didn’t look rich.
Her clothes were simple.
Her hands had small marks from work.
She was probably struggling too.
“Why are you helping me?” he asked quietly.
The girl shrugged.
“Because you look like someone who shouldn’t give up.”
Jin Woo blinked in surprise.
She smiled and sat down across from him.
“My name is Ara,” she said.
Jin Woo slowly picked up the bowl.
The warmth spread through his hands.
“…Jin Woo,” he replied.
Ara watched him take the first bite.
His expression softened immediately.
“See?” she said proudly. “Food makes everything better.”
For a moment, Jin Woo forgot about his worries.
The rain continued falling outside, but the small tea shop suddenly felt warm.
“You’re studying for the exam, right?” Ara asked.
Jin Woo nodded.
“The Gwageo.”
Ara’s eyes widened.
“That’s incredible!”
Jin Woo chuckled weakly.
“Most people would say it’s impossible.”
Ara shook her head.
“Impossible things just need more time.”
Jin Woo looked at her carefully.
“You really believe that?”
“Of course.”
She leaned forward slightly.
“If you didn’t believe you could succeed, you wouldn’t still be studying.”
Her words were simple.
But something about them felt powerful.
No one had ever spoken to him like that before.
Most people told him to give up.
To find normal work.
To stop dreaming.
But this stranger believed in him after knowing him for only a few minutes.
Jin Woo finished the bowl slowly.
When he put it down, he felt different.
Stronger.
“Thank you,” he said sincerely.
Ara smiled brightly.
“You’re welcome.”
Jin Woo hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
“One day,” he said quietly, “I will pass that exam.”
Ara nodded immediately.
“I know you will.”
Jin Woo continued.
“And when that day comes…”
He paused, searching for the right words.
“I will repay your kindness.”
Ara laughed softly.
“It was only a bowl of rice.”
Jin Woo shook his head.
“No.”
His voice became firm.
“It was much more than that.”
He looked directly at her.
“I promise you this.”
“One day, I will become someone worthy.”
Ara stared at him for a moment.
Then she smiled again, but this time her expression was softer.
“Then I’ll be cheering for you,” she said.
Outside, the rain slowly began to stop.
Neither of them realized it yet.
But that small moment inside the tea shop was the beginning of everything.
The beginning of a promise.
The beginning of love.
And the beginning of a story that would one day shake the entire nation.
- Writer
