Chapter 18 Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Chapter 18 opens in the present day, with Ji-won waking early and staring at the ceiling, gripped by unease. She is about to reunite with her three high school friends—Jenny, Sarah, and Han-byeol—whom she hasn't spoken to since they left for college. She acknowledges the rift was her fault, but insists to herself that her actions came from a good place. As she gets ready, she notices the dark circles under her eyes, and George's irises flash into her mind; she tries to shake the image away but it lingers as she gets into her car.

The chapter then shifts into a long flashback. Ji-won recalls that she and her three friends had been inseparable since the first day of seventh grade, seeing each other nearly every day through middle school and high school. All four were Korean American, shared matching interests, and dreamed of attending UC Berkeley together. The dream was fueled largely by Ji-won's father, Appa, who insisted that Berkeley was the key to success. He brought home stacks of glossy brochures, proudly mispronouncing the school's name as