Jina narrates "The Waiting," a fictional account that depicts the life of her mother, Gwija. When Gwija was just 17 years old, she was hastily married off to a stranger after learning that unmarried girls were being taken by the Japanese. Following Japan's collapse and Korea's independence, Gwija and her husband began a family but were eventually forced to flee south. This unfortunate turn of events separated Gwija from her husband and son, leaving her to care for their baby girl alone.
Seventy years have now passed, and Gwija is an elderly woman who is still waiting for the chance to reunite with her son. Jina, struggling with the promise she made to find her uncle, adds to the depth of this moving story.