Unlike the festive year-end atmosphere in society, I was spending my days uneventfully, recovering postpartum after giving birth.

I started by looking into applications for public daycare centers.

Although I could have taken parental leave for up to a year, I needed to work to earn more money. As a single-parent family, I could apply for extended childcare with government support, so I decided to take only six months off before returning to the hospital.

While my mother’s back was bent trying to settle the debts my father left behind, I had to get back on my feet for the survival of Han Byeol, who had settled on the burden of my life.

I decided to breastfeed and share sufficient loving interactions with my child during my parental leave.

On Christmas Day, I ordered pizza and had a modest party with my mother, who was tired from work.

As if to comfort me in my struggles, my child grew healthy and strong without falling ill.

The child’s eyes, becoming clearer day by day, and angelic smile were given as gifts to my mother and me. My mother was happy that she could soon live a debt-free life, which she had wished for.

The studio apartment was too cramped for the three of us, so I told my mother we should look for a two-room rental apartment in the new year.

Government support for single-parent families was diverse, including not only childcare subsidies but also rental housing support.

The more I knew, the more money I could save, and it gave me strength to endure the harsh reality.

After nearly a month of postpartum recovery, I started to resume my daily life.

My mother tried to dissuade me, saying it was too cold in winter to go out, but I started going to the supermarket for groceries and looking into daycare centers.

On December 31, the sun rose in the sky, concluding the year.

I headed to the neighborhood supermarket to prepare a special meal for my mother, who was resting at home for once.

She had worked hard making seaweed soup, beef bone soup, and side dishes for my postpartum recovery after returning from her tough job cleaning buildings.

I was at the meat counter selecting pork to make stir-fried pork with tofu, my mother’s favorite dish.

The neighborhood supermarket wasn’t very large, with just enough space for two carts to pass, so I carefully parked my cart to one side of the meat counter and was looking at the pork price tags.

That’s when a man who seemed to be selecting meat approached me and spoke.

“Excuse me…”

I turned to face him, looking at him with surprised eyes.

“Are you Han Byeol’s guardian?”

“Yes. Hello, doctor.”

“Thank you for remembering me. Do you live around here?”

“Yes.”

“I live nearby too… Is Han Byeol growing well?”

“Yes. He seems to grow bigger every day.”

“I’m grateful that my name is ‘Lee Han Byeol’.”

“…Pardon?”

I noticed the doctor’s earlobes turning red.

It was the same in the examination room; his exceptionally pale skin made it easy to notice when just his earlobes turned red.

Hyun Woo was tall at 187cm, and the doctor also appeared to be over 180cm.

I hadn’t noticed when he was sitting in the hospital examination room, but seeing his unexpectedly tall stature, I secretly hoped our ‘Han Byeol’ would grow tall like him too.

“If my name wasn’t ‘Lee Han Byeol’, would you have even remembered me?”

“Ah… yes, yes.”

“I guess you won’t be able to forget my name from now on, will you?”

“Yes… I suppose not.”

The doctor told me he didn’t have a mother.

He said he played the role of chef at home in place of his mother, who had passed away from breast cancer.

His father, who had retired, refused to cook as if it were a big deal for a man to do so. His two younger brothers had no talent for cooking, and his only sister was only interested in dressing up.

Unlike the somewhat taciturn Hyun Woo, the doctor’s positive energy as he cheerfully continued the conversation seemed to transfer to me as well.

“I saw your name on the chart, but I felt I should get permission before using it.”

“…Yes?”

“I don’t think the term ‘mother’ that I usually use for children’s guardians suits you yet.”

“…Ah, I see.”

“Would it be alright if I just called you by your name?”

“Yes. That’s fine.”

I wasn’t used to someone calling me ‘mother’ either.

Although it was a title I would have to get used to, I think I preferred being called by my name.

“So Hee, it’s December 31st today. Are you preparing a special dish?”

“My mother likes stir-fried pork with tofu.”

“I love stir-fried pork with tofu too. Haha.”

“Ah… I see. What are you cooking today, doctor?”

“My father loves samgyeopsal so much, I’m thinking of having a samgyeopsal party for dinner.”

“I see. Have a nice evening.”

“You too, So Hee…”

I gave a slight bow and headed to the supermarket checkout.

After returning home, I started to tell my mother about meeting the doctor at the supermarket, but I held back, worried she might overreact and call it fate rather than coincidence.

It was surprising to accidentally meet a doctor with the same name as my child in the same neighborhood, but more important to me were my concerns about survival going forward.

The wound in my heart left by Hyun Woo was too big to think about or develop feelings for a new man, and that empty space was now occupied by my son, ‘Han Byeol’.

I didn’t know how much more time would need to pass, but I had no desire to intentionally meet someone to soothe that wound.

*****

The year-end streets of Boston were somewhat excited with Christmas and the anticipation of the coming New Year’s Day.

On Christmas Day, the laboratory was empty.

Everyone had gone home to enjoy their year-end holiday, and even students who lived in Boston didn’t come to the lab, preferring to spend time with family.

While experimenting, Hyun Woo reflected on the simplest truth of life.

‘Output is exactly proportional to input.’

This had been true for his life so far.

Even when working part-time jobs since middle and high school, Hyun Woo always carried his textbooks with him.

Unable to even imagine attending academies or getting private tutoring, he carried his textbooks until they were tattered, practically memorizing them, and always thinking about their contents even while working part-time.

His father had been talented enough to enter K University’s Business Administration department, but he couldn’t adapt to military life after taking a leave of absence from college, and his desertion permanently eroded his father’s life.

The stigma of being unfit for military service and a deserter tormented his father for life, and alcohol became his only escape, eventually leading to his death.

Inheriting his father’s superior intellect and looks, Hyun Woo had lived gritting his teeth, determined not to end up like his father.

On Christmas Day, when everyone else was playing and resting, Ha Yeon teased Hyun Woo via text message for being so intense about his experiments.

His life was such that he couldn’t survive without being intense, and to catch up with friends who had started the 100-meter dash of life 20 or 30 meters ahead, Hyun Woo had no choice but to put in even greater effort.

Even after coming to America, Hyun Woo had seen many hardworking students and researchers.

The researchers who published good papers in CNS were truly hardworking people.

The most formidable were those who enjoyed their work while putting in effort.

The results were different from those who worked forcibly or out of obligation.

Hyun Woo also tried to feel the joy of designing experiments while understanding the mechanisms himself.

Having the motivation of his father’s alcoholism allowed him to immerse himself in research, and he had the persistence to put the puzzle pieces together himself.

Hyun Woo intensely devoted the six days of year-end time when others were playing to his research, and he was pleased to have secured solid data proportional to the time invested, which he could show everyone at the first lab meeting of the new year.

December 31st, the last day of the year, dawned.

Planning to leave early for the ski resort, Hyun Woo was waiting for Ha Yeon near the entrance of Longwood Medical Center at 7 AM.

Shortly after, a white Jeep with a ski holder attached stopped in front of Hyun Woo. Ha Yeon lowered the window and waved cheerfully.

“Ha Yeon, this isn’t your car?”

“No, elder brother. I rented a four-wheel drive Jeep in case the road to the ski resort is slippery. It has a ski holder installed, so I brought mine, and we can buy yours on the way.”

New Hampshire, bordering Massachusetts where Boston is located to the north, was famous for its beautiful autumn foliage and wonderful ski resorts.

Ha Yeon bought Hyun Woo’s ski boots and equipment on the way, and they drove another two hours to reach the ski resort on Mount Washington.

The lovely log cabin Ha Yeon had rented was an independent cabin for just the two of them, right next to the white ski slopes.

“Elder brother, let’s ski first in the morning and then have lunch.”

“…O-Okay.”

Seeing people skiing and snowboarding, sliding down the white snow slopes in various directions right before his eyes, Hyun Woo was amazed.

He had seen it on TV during Winter Olympics broadcasts, but it was his first time seeing people skiing in person.

After unpacking at the cabin and changing into ski clothes, Ha Yeon and Hyun Woo headed straight to the ski slopes.

Hyun Woo understood why people wearing ski boots walked like awkward astronauts when he put on ski boots for the first time in his life.

Ha Yeon watched with a smile as she observed Hyun Woo’s gait.

Hyun Woo learned how to walk at the ski resort from the beginning.

Although he had to start by learning how to take baby steps, Ha Yeon patiently explained everything to him one by one.

She spent the entire morning repeatedly teaching him how to walk up the sloped ski run, the basic skiing posture, how to stop, how to fall without getting hurt, and how to get up after falling.

As lunchtime approached, Hyun Woo was able to cautiously come down in an ‘A’ shape and attempt some slight turns.

“Elder brother, you have amazing athletic ability! Let’s take the gondola up a bit higher after lunch.”

“Already?”

Ha Yeon reassured him with a comforting smile, explaining that unlike in Korea where beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses start from the bottom, this ski resort had beginner courses even from higher up after taking the gondola.

Ha Yeon took Hyun Woo’s hand and led him towards the cabin for lunch.

She took out an icebox from the car and walked into the cabin.

Although he had been to Ha Yeon’s house in Boston before, the thought of spending two days and one night alone with her in the snow made his heart flutter.

After putting the icebox down on the table, Ha Yeon came towards Hyun Woo and embraced him.

“Elder brother…”