The Edge of Nineteen, Part II

Heung-soo opened his eyes slowly and resisted any serious thoughts of waking up.  He was starting to wish he hadn’t taken on the extra shift at work when he felt a hand move under the covers.  He came into crisp wakefulness when he looked down to see Nam-soon’s sleepy hand resting on his tummy and his head pressed into the side of Heung-soo’s ribs.  Nam-soon was fast asleep.  Heung-soo could not help the smile that fixed itself on his face.  He ran a hand through Nam-soon’s hair, and even that didn’t succeed in waking him up.  He looked around the small room in search of his clothes.  They were in an unruly heap, entangled with Nam-soon’s on the floor by the desk.  He suddenly felt grateful to be the only one up at the moment.  He snuck out of bed as quietly as he could and watched Nam-soon slumber on as he got dressed.

Heung-soo barely caught his ride home.  He sat down at the back of the bus and inhaled deeply, eyes closed, as he tried to catch his breath.  There was one person on his mind; one person who now made his heart race.  Heung-soo pulled out his cellphone from his jacket pocket and sent a text message – ‘A birthday to remember.  Heading home now, shower, and then work.  Not sure how much work I can get done today.  See you tonight. Cant wait.’

Heung-soo turned his key in the door and slipped into the house with caution.  There was no sign of his sister, Young-soo.  She worked night shifts at the hospital and was probably now settling into sleep, he thought.  He dropped his things in his room and went in for a quick shower.  He was dressed and ready for work in less than fifteen minutes.  He grabbed his backpack and a cold snack from the kitchen.  He was about to jump out the door again when…

“Park Heung-soo!”  Young-soo closed her bedroom door behind her and stopped him in his tracks.  “I’m starting to think you barely live here these days.”  She pulled her housecoat tightly about herself and folded her arms.

“Noona, about yesterday…” he began.

“I made a cake and everything.  I called and sent you like three text messages last night, but I think your phone was turned off?”  she glared at him, bewildered. 

“I need you to tell me if you aren’t going to be coming home.  Don’t you think I’d be wondering where you are?”  She frowned at her little brother, “I’ve told you this already-”

“Noona.  Sorry I missed your call.  I am.  And let’s have the cake tonight.  But… can you finish scolding me when I get back later?” his eyes pleaded.  “If I don’t head out right now, I’ll miss my bus and I’ll be late for work.”

He dropped his backpack and went to her side.  “See you tonight… I really should go.” He rubbed her shoulder and did his best to give her his warmest, playful smile.  She relented a little.  As he was turning to leave, her eye caught a mark on the side of his neck.

“Who did you say you were with last night?” she called out.

“I was just hanging out with Nam-soon.  I was at his place,” Heung-soo stood at the door and looked at his sister pleadingly.

“Just hanging out with Go Nam-soon, were you?!  So how did you get that thing on your neck?”

“What thing?”

“That!” she pointed at his neck and frowned, “That is a hickey on the side of your neck!  Where did you get that if you were hanging with Nam-soon the whole time?!”

Heung-soo threw a hand across his neck and instinctively pulled up his jacket collar.  “Whut..?  No, it's not... it's not what you're thinking!  Sis, I really gotta go..” he tapped his watch impatiently.

“You’re hiding things from me, aren’t you?”

“Bye!” and he was out the door and gone.

Young-soo stood still, puzzled and alone with her thoughts.  He was definitely keeping something from her.  She started walking back to her bedroom when it hit her.  The realization came down like a ton of bricks.

-----  -----  -----

Nam-soon laid flat on his back in bed and re-read the text message he’d seen moments earlier.  He pressed his palms to his face and heaved a huge sigh of relief mixed with excitement and a little anxiety.  He felt himself slowly start to drift off into a daydream when he heard someone moving about in the living room. 

“I thought you said you had to be at work!”  Nam-soon called out as he hopped out of bed and slipped on his trousers.  He was smiling from ear to ear when he stumbled into the living room, shirtless and trousers ped.

“Abuji!”  Nam-soon stopped cold when he saw his father busying himself in the living room, picking up the beer cans they had abandoned there the night before.  Nam-soon managed a flustered bow.

“Abuji… you’re home!  I had no idea you were coming this weekend,”  Nam-soon fumbled with his zipper and tried to steady himself.  His father looked up at him with a tight smile.

“I didn’t realize I had to give you notice before coming to my own home.”  He looked at Nam-soon from head to foot.  “You’re looking thin.  But… you have money for beer, I see.”   He nodded at the cans he was holding.

Nam-soon stepped forward and took the cans from his father.  “Good to see you, dad.”

Nam-soon pulled on a t-shirt and re-joined his father in the living room.

“I’m only here for the day … needed to sort out some paperwork for a new job.  I’ll be heading back to work tomorrow.” Nam-soon’s father motioned him to sit on the floor next to him.

Nam-soon nodded quietly and looked his father over.  He had aged more than his forty-five years, and even though his eyes looked red and tired, Nam-soon admitted to himself that his father looked better this time around than the last time he’d come home.

“So… everything going okay?  Still have the summer job?”

“Yes.  Everything’s fine, abuji.  I still have the job.”

“Earlier.. when you heard me in here, it sounded like you were expecting someone else?”

“Oh…umm, yeah.  Heung-soo.  He crashed here last night.  And… well, it was his birthday yesterday.  I just thought maybe he came back here.. for something..”  Nam-soon fumbled with his words and avoided his father’s stare.

“Park Heung-soo?”

“Yeah.”

“I see.  Still hanging out together then..”

“Yeah. He’s... he’s my best friend.”  Nam-soon tried to read the look on his father’s face but could not tell if his old man was holding back from saying something or wondering if Nam-soon was referring to the same Park Heung-soo he knew from a ways back.

“Dad.. err..  I need to head out to run a few errands.  Maybe stop at the market.. get something to cook for us later.  I’ll be back in a little bit.  D’you need anything while I’m out?”  Nam-soon rose to his feet and straightened his clothes. 

His father looked up at him with a weak smile.  “I’m glad you haven’t been lonely.  As I’m away so much, it’s good to know you’re not spending all your time by yourself or working..”  There was an awkward pause before he pulled out a few bills from his wallet and handed them to Nam-soon.

“Pick up some seasoned cuttlefish when you’re at the market.. you used to enjoy it.  Let's have some tonight..”  Nam-soon bowed quietly and slipped out the door.

One street away, Nam-soon felt himself relax more.  He had not been expecting to greet his father the way he did this morning.  The sudden visit had left him feeling more than a little agitated.  He didn’t actually have any errands to run, but had made up the excuse to escape the house for a chance to re-arrange his thoughts. 

He pulled out his cellphone and sent Heung-soo a text message – ‘Dad is home today! Let’s talk when you’re done.  Hoping to spend some time with him before he leaves tomorrow.  Not sure if I’ll see you later today. Gonna be a long day.'

Nam-soon was hanging around the bus stop when his phone chimed with a new message – ‘Yeah, call you later.  Took the day off tomorrow.  We’ll have all day.’

And then two minutes later, another text – ‘Boss on coffee break.  Oh and i think this belongs to you..’, accompanied by a photo of an animated Heung-soo, pointing at a deep red mark on his neck.

Nam-soon laughed and blushed deeply as he peered at the silly picture.  He studied it and felt uplifted by the playful look on Heung-soo’s face - his eyes were bright and his smile, mischievous.   

Nam-soon idled with his thoughts long after his bus came and left him sitting there on a bus stop bench, with a smile permanently etched on his face... 

Park Heung-soo had a way about him, a way Nam-soon understood and craved… he had a way of bringing balance, of steadying the commotion that Nam-soon sometimes felt within… he was the one who listened to the hidden silences and stuck around after all else was spent… he was the one who held Nam-soon close the night before, as though it were the last thing they would ever do..