A cow.

A stupid freaking cow!

I’m happy because I won over a cow!

Yes, it’s true that the cow was partially responsible for their meeting. And it was there when it all started.

Their love had started with an accident, quite literally. Myungsoo was travelling to Gwangju by train to visit his cousin. It was his summer vacation and he wanted a change of scenery badly. Stuck in the hectic city for years, Myungsoo was dying to breathe in fresh air and for a touch of nature. His mood had lifted ever since the train tracks had left the city behind and journeyed through the greenery and open plains. But suddenly, the train came to a mind-cringing, screeching halt and a jerk that almost threw Myungsoo into the person sitting on the bench facing him.

“Sorry,” he muttered to the irritated passenger who had bumped his head on the back of the bench.

Everyone started to look out of the windows to see what was going on when an announcement rang through the compartment. It told the passengers to alight on the station since the train will not travel until further notice due to some complications in the engine. The appropriate apologies were made and the passengers were urged to seek shelter in the farmhouses around the train station since a cyclone was about to hit the area.

“Just my luck,” muttered Myungsoo as he jumped out of the train.

Should I ask someone for a shelter? That’d be weird I guess. Instead, I’ll spend the night in the waiting room.

As he started towards the waiting room, something caught his eye. A row of 5-6 shining bicycles were waiting at one side of the station. A sleepy man, resting against a pillar, was watching over them.

“Excuse me, what are these cycles for?” Myungsoo asked him curiously.

“Hire,” said the man yawning.

“You mean I can take a bicycle?”

“For money.” The man’s replies were curt.

“And if I run away with it?” Myungsoo asked chuckling.

“Sue you,” the man said nonchalantly as if he sued bicycle runaways every day.

“Ok. So I want to hire one for, let’s say, 2 hours.” It was late afternoon and Myungsoo figured he would go round the station once before checking into the waiting room for the night.

“10,000 won,” the man demanded.

Myungsoo slipped him the money and the man wordlessly started to unlock a bicycle. He handed it to Myungsoo as if he was getting rid of something utterly disgusting. Myungsoo thanked the man and got on the bicycle tentatively. Truth be told, it had been quite a while since he last rode his bicycle, whose appropriate name should have been, tricycle. He pedaled away from the man and to his extreme surprise, the bicycle didn’t feel alien underneath him. He loved the wind whipping across his face as he inhaled deeply.

“This is the life,” he said, running his hand through his hair and closing his eyes. But unfortunately, it didn’t last long. The wonderful feeling came crashing down along with himself and the bicycle. He felt a sharp pain in his right leg as the bicycle clattered onto the ground noisily. Apart from the metallic sound, he heard a loud yelp which he couldn’t quite place. He forced his eyes open and the sight that greeted him unnerved him more than anything ever had.