Twisted Rope

Prologue, An Ordinary Saturday

Fortune and misfortune are like the twisted strands of a rope.

Japanese proverb

Fortune and misfortune are like twisted rope, so they come by turns. Everything will be fine soon.

Ri Jeong-hyeok, episode 2, Crash Landing On You

At Home in Seoul. 

Fifteen years after Seri crash landed in North Korea

Eight years after the end of The Gift

"I've finished Appa!"

Ka-youn's voice called to him as he entered the music room. Like the rest of his and Seri's house, the music room was spacious and elegant. Large windows let in plenty of natural light and allowed an open view towards the hills. At the centre of the room was his grand piano, at the side, Seri's old piano. Today it was Ka-youn's turn to use that one for her practice, allowing Yeji the treat of playing the grand.

"Have you? Already!" Jeong-hyeok smiled at his two girls.

"Yes - see."

He stood and listened as Ka-youn played the piano practice he'd set them. She executed it competently, she had done what he'd asked. But she clearly had had enough. He smiled at her.

"Thank you Ka-youn. That was good. You can leave it there if you like."

Immediately Ka-youn swivelled round on the piano stool, looking satisfied.

"Yeji, how about you?"

Yeji pushed her hair behind her ears, in a gesture so like Seri's.

"I have practiced," she said, "but I don't think it's right yet."

"Of course it is!" said Ka-youn. "You've got it just right. Better than mine. Show Appa!"

"Ok then." Yeji smiled back at her sister. Sometimes she just needed a little push or encouragement and Ka-youn could be relied on to do that.

Yeji played, her technique just edging that of her sister's, but she also took more care, as if she was really thinking through the sound of each note, trying to balance each one, making it fluid. It lived.

She finished and looked up at him, a little anxiously.

He smiled warmly at her.

"That was lovely Yeji! I can see you've really thought about how it should flow. That's very good!"

Yeji smiled. He knew that his praise for her playing meant a lot to her.

"See!" said Ka-youn to her. "Appa, can I go? I've got basketball practice in an hour and I need to find some things to go in our class display first."

"Of course," he said.

He bent down to allow her to kiss him on the cheek, and then she dashed out of the room. That's my Ka-youn, he thought. Always busy, lots of things on the go, on top of everything. He turned back to Yeji; she was still sitting on the piano stool.

"Do you want to practice some more?" he asked her. "Is there anything you'd like me to help with?"

She beamed at him. "Yes, if you've got time."

"I'd be happy to help, what is it?"

"I've been looking through the tutorial books and I found a piece I think I like. Can I show you?"

He nodded.

She picked up a tutorial book and turned to the page. It was a pretty tune, but a more complex piece than he knew she could play yet.