Jun-oh’s Rise and Departure

This flow traces Jun-oh’s modelling ambition and the widening distance between his new future in Seoul and the narrator’s life in Sokcho.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Modelling Interview

The Modelling Interview A planned departure Jun-oh visits the narrator and shows her a modelling agency website. He is leaving for Seoul for an interview and is prepared to have his face altered if the agency expects it. He suggests the narrator might also consider surgery if she wants to work in the capital. Ambition as pressure His career plan is presented as opportunity, but he extends its appearance-based logic to her. The visit foreshadows the different futures each of them is beginning to pursue.

A Trial Contract

A Trial Contract Success at a distance Jun-oh calls from Seoul to say he has been held up and is staying longer on a trial basis. He tells the narrator he misses her but does not ask how she is. The conversation gives her news of his progress without giving her much sense of mutual attention. Unequal communication His new opportunity changes the rhythm of their relationship. The narrator notices not only that he is away, but that his ambitions occupy more of their conversations than her life does.

The Modelling Contract

The Modelling Contract The promised return Jun-oh calls to say he has got the modelling contract and will return to collect his belongings. He asks to see the narrator, who tells him to call before arriving rather than simply appear. Her request marks a small attempt to set terms in a relationship where he has often taken access for granted. A new public identity The contract makes Jun-oh’s move toward Seoul more concrete. It also sharpens the gap between his emerging professional identity and the narrator’s stalled domestic life.

The Return Visit

The Return Visit A reunion without curiosity Jun-oh arrives late, and the narrator has prepared food for him. He does not eat, explaining that he is watching his diet, and the pair argue over how little they have asked about each other. He proposes that she move to Seoul and live on his salary. The city as a choice The narrator remembers Seoul as noisy and dazzling, then refuses to leave her mother behind. Jun-oh calls her foolish and insists that he loves her, but the offer does not resolve their incompatible priorities.

A Career in the Capital

A Career in the Capital Leaving again After spending the night with the narrator, Jun-oh prepares to take the bus back to Seoul. He has secured the opportunity he wanted, while the narrator remains in Sokcho. Their parting is affectionate in moments but does not repair the distance between their plans. An uncertain future Jun-oh’s career may continue to grow, but the novel gives no account of its outcome. His departure chiefly reveals that his future is moving forward on a path the narrator will not follow.

Before Yan Kerrand’s border excursion

Several days after Jun-oh leaves

After Seollal

Two days after Jun-oh says he has the contract

The morning after the return visit