Chapter 4 - July

Yoona and Sooyoung - when they forgot their money when they went out to buy a midnight snack and you paid for them, they also followed you to where the homeless man slept on the park bench

Midnight.

That was the perfect time…

Or at least around that time.  Every few weeks, despite the chill of the evening air, Jason's feet lead him out to the street and to a vendor for food.  He discovered ‘tteokbokki’, and since the first bite he would be hit by random cravings for the spice and flavour of the korean dish.  Sometimes he would stand by the vendor and finish his meal. Other times he would return home with his prize. But often he would wander through the park across the street and sit at a bench.  Letting the quiet of the night take over as he ate his midnight snack.

Tonight was a little different. Jason was on a mission. Not just for food either.  In his hand was a brand new backpack he bought from the superstore.  Filled with muesli bars, socks, a t-shirt, a jumper, a water-proof jacket, a beanie, a scarf, a pair of gloves and an empty thermos. It also had a plastic lunchbox set, with a spoon and fork that can clip to the lid.

Surprisingly, this time round, the old man who made the delicious tteokbokki was preoccupied with customers already.  Two girls, probably around 24 years of age, same as him, were excitedly talking to each other.

“Yum! Tteokbokki!” the taller one clapped her hands in joy.

“Me too! I want two serves, I’m so hungry!” exclaimed the doe-eyed one.

“You’re always hungry.” The taller one laughed.

“Like you can talk, shikshin-unnie,” the shorter poked her side, “Also, speaking of which… Will you treat your favourite dongsaeng, unnie~?:

Jason cringed along with the older girl.  No one’s aegyo should be that grating on the ears and on the nerves.

“Yah! I’ve told you not to use aegyo!... And I thought you brought money…”

Wide eyes stared incredulously at her, “You mean neither of us brought any money???”

Both their shoulder slumped as they realised they would have to return home if they wanted any food tonight.

“Excuse me? Ajusshi, could I please have 5 serves of tteokbokki?”

The two of them whirled around, surprised that there was someone else out for food a time like this.  The tteokbokki ajusshi just smiled at me and said, "Of course. Cravings again?”

“Your tteokbokki is just too good to resist.”

He laughed good naturedly in the face of Jason's charming smile, “Flattery doesn’t get you much, kid.”

"Would it get me some tea for my thermos? Please?”

His brown eyes crinkled along his laugh lines and he merely held out his hand for the silver thermos.  A few moments later and it was back in the backpack, full of hot tea.  Jason also handed him the empty lunchbox and he kindly ladled one of the serves of tteokbokki he had ordered into it.

Ajusshi then plated up 4 more serves of the delicious foods in white cardboard containers. Jason turned to the two stunned girls and gestured to the food.

“I’ve ordered too much.  Would you please do me the favour of taking these serves?”

They nodded dumbly, still a little shell shocked at the sudden turn of events.

Jason bowed, “Thank you.”  With a small smile he was off again, to continue his mission.

The old man chuckled and snapped the two girls out of their stupor.

“The food will get cold, girls.”

Hesitant hands reached for the gifted foods.  Frowns marred their faces as confusion set in.

“Sooyoung-unnie, do you think he recognized us?”

“I don’t know, Yoong. Maybe he’s a fan?”

The old man laughed, “Trust me girls. I’ve known that young man for a few months now. You could’ve been total strangers and he would’ve done the same thing. Plus I don’t think he even recognized you two. He sure didn’t act like it.”

“Does he come here often, ajusshi?” Sooyoung asked.

“Mmhmm. Yes, every few days he comes at around the same time.  Tell you what, he went towards the park. If you want to see proof that he’s a good kid, just swing by there on your way home, okay?”

“Okay, ajusshi! Thank you!” Yoona grinned brightly.

With waves of farewell, the two of them set off after the mysterious young man.  The park was eerily still and quiet at night, none of the people walking, talking and just generally making it seem alive.  Why anyone would through here at night was beyond the two girls.  They hoped against hope that they didn’t just blindly follow an old man’s instruction, only to end up killed by some handsome psycho that bought them food.

Something rustled up ahead.  Past shrubs that hid the lower half of the young man, was a bench.  

With a homeless man on it.

The homeless man was fast asleep, with the young man bustling about quietly around him like a servant afraid to wake his master.  He put the bag down on floor just under the man’s head and put the container of food with a note, just beside his sleeping head.  With nothing more than tattered clothes and an old blanket to shield him from the cold, the homeless man was pitiful.  

Sooyoung and Yoona hid behind the bushes, not really sure why they were hiding, but sure that they didn’t want to startle the young man and thereby waking the one sleeping on the bench.  

Wide eyes watched as the young man reached into the pockets of his trench coat and pulled his bulky wallet.  He pulled out what looked like to be ¾ of the notes in it and stuffed them in the front most pocket of the bag.

A small smile and a satisfied nod was all he gave to the man who would never even know who had given him such kindness.  Stranger still was that the tteokbokki man wanted no recognition for his deeds.  Content to leave a gift and disappear altogether.  His sneakers brought him away with quiet steps.  Head down with the collar up to hide from chill breeze, he walked up the familiar path back to the complex.

Sooyoung and Yoona trailed behind him quietly.  A little bit dazed at the whole event. Just a little bit in awe of what they had witnessed.  He had given away so many things that night, even the food now in their hands, but he was content to return home empty handed, without wanting thanks or acknowledgement.

Careful not to be caught by him, they waited a few minutes before entering the familiar building themselves, and heading to their room.

Both silently slipped out of their shoes and a single light in the kitchen.  Absentmindedly to ate their foods, one small bite at a time. Too lost in thought at all that had happened.

“He didn’t tell us his name, unnie.”

Sooyoung looked up startled.  It was a whisper. No more than a breath from where she stood behind the counter leaning on her elbows as she ate.

“What?”

“The guy. He didn’t tell us his name. Like he wasn’t expecting to be paid back.”

“I don’t think he was.”

Stomachs full, cravings satisfied and minds filled with such a random turn of events, they decided to pack it in.  A good sleep was all they needed to shake off the strange quiet that had overcome them.  In the morning, when the rest were awake they would tell the story of their midnight snack, and mumble praises and coo at the sweetness.  Now, was just time for bed.

Meanwhile

One floor above them, Jason had barely shut the door before his eyes drooped.  Sneakers were kicked off haphazardly somewhere by his door.  He flopped face first into his bed, coat, shirt, jeans and all still on him.  Sleep found him quickly.

Guilt no longer ate away at him.  That man was the same one he had seen weeks ago.  Shivering on the bench with nothing to truly protect him from the harsh elements.  He had seen him again. Had eaten in the park and waited to see him again.

On a Tuesday night.

Always on a Tuesday night.  As if he had been on some kind of schedule.  The homeless man would shuffle to his bench and sit alone in rags on a quiet Tuesday night. And he watched.  Feeling sick as the food in his mouth tasted like ash, guilt creeping into his conscience.  He could do something, but what?  Remains of a midnight snack weren’t going to help the man.  

At least the bag of clothes and supplies, plus the money should give him comfort.  Not a permanent fix, but hopefully it would help…

One lawyer couldn’t save everyone...