It was the day before Chuseok that year.

Hands were busy making songpyeon in every house, and the scent of cooking food was deep in every alley. The laughter of family members gathered for the first time in a long while leaked over the walls; it was truly a scene worthy of the holiday.

Around that time, the man from next door, returning from grocery shopping, encountered his new neighbor at the entrance of the alley. Carrying grocery bags in both hands, the man stopped and offered a polite greeting.

A faint smile was hung on his face.

However, inside the gate of that house, there were no family members to welcome the holiday, nor any food to share together.