(This story was totally random but not unintentional. After what happened with JongHyun in December and the recent passing of Seo Minwoo, I wanted to adress the topic of suicide. If you see that someone is hurting, reach out to them. You never know if you might be the one that saves a life. (still unsure of what exactly happened with Seo Minwoo but this just seemed to tie into the situation. ) And if you are hurting, reach out. A perfect stranger could be the one to give you a reason to live.

Kawaakari:(Japanese) The glow on a river at dusk

Eric tramped from his car to a spot on the banks of the Han River and got all of his fishing equipment unpacked and settled into his chair. He had planned to meet with friends for drinks after work but something about the quiet of the river at dusk appealed to him more than a smoky bar filled with tipsy people. He cracked open a beer and got his line ready to cast out into the still waters. The bobber landed a few meters out, the sound broke the silence for just a moment before all was silent again…… but just for a moment.

“Oh, I didn’t know anyone would be here”, Eric heard a man’s voice say and he turned to look behind him and saw a short man dressed in a suit and tie walk up, his shoes in one hand, his feet bare on the sandy shore. Eric shrugged and the man came over and sat a few feet from him and dipped his toes in the water. Neither man spoke and Eric sipped at his beer as he watched the red bobber in the water. He didn’t care if he got a bite or not, he just wanted to use this time to clear his head. He didn’t feel much like talking either, so he hoped his unexpected companion would stay silent.

Beside him, the man watched the sky, like he searched for the answer to life’s meaning. He stole occasional glances at the fisherman, hoping he would pack up and leave. He’d come here with a purpose, after all. He glanced at the watch on his left wrist and sighed softly. Eric heard him and in spite of himself he looked over.

“Everything okay?”, he said nonchalantly even though he’d heard the sadness in the man’s sigh.

“I was hoping no one would be here”, the man, who’s name was Minwoo, said softly. He pulled his knees up and rested his elbows on them, his face cupped in his hands.

Eric furrowed his brow and wondered if he should continue the conversation. Minwoo took care of it for him.

“I got fired from my job today. I’ve been with the company for ten years and they replaced me with a guy 10 years younger. Out with the old, in with the new I guess”, Minwoo said ruefully and shook his head.

“Oh man”, Eric said awkwardly,”that . Maybe it’s time for a change then.”

“It’s also my birthday…. they fired me on my birthday. Happy birthday to me!”, Minwoo said with a rude laugh.

“Oh….um”, Eric felt even more awkward,”Happy birthday”, he said lamely and pulled another beer from the cooler and offered it to Minwoo. Minwoo got up and took it from him, sitting down closer and cracked it open. He barely glanced at the brand before he put it to his lips and took a gulp.

“You know what?”, Minwoo said suddenly, looking up at Eric from the ground. Eric shook his head and waited for Minwoo to continue.

“I came down here to kill myself today. I was going to fill my pockets with rocks and walk out into the water”, Minwoo whispered, tears starting to fill his eyes. Eric turned quickly and looked at him.

“Over a job? Your life is worth more than a job”, Eric said, the shock evident in his voice.

“But starting over….. it’s too hard. I have to take care of my elderly parents. I can’t afford to be out of work, they are depending on me. I’m too ashamed to even go home and tell them I got fired”, Minwoo said, his voice breaking.

“And if you are gone? Who will take care of them then?”,Eric said and moved to his knees on the ground in front of Minwoo, careless of his feet in the water.

“I don’t know”, Minwoo said, his voice weak. “But it’s better than having a worthless son like me.”

“You listen to me”, Eric said and gripped Minwoo’s face in his hands,”maybe….maybe I am here for a reason. I was supposed to go out with my friends today. I haven’t come to this spot to fish in ages. Maybe I was supposed to meet you……save your life today.”

Minwoo let out a shocked sob at the man’s sudden intensity and jerked his face away.

“I can just as easily kill myself somewhere else as I can here”, he said and went to stand up. Eric moved to tackle him to the ground and held him there.

“I can’t let you…… I will feel responsible. You will ruin both our lives”, he said as he looked down at Minwoo. “What’s your name?”

Minwoo closed his eyes and whispered,”Lee Minwoo.”

“Well, Lee Minwoo…. I’m Eric and tonight I’m going to save your life. I’ve got to replace my assistant at work. I’ll hire you. If you promise not to do anything to yourself.” Eric spoke rapidly, scared that even a moment’s pause would tip the balance in this life and death matter.

“Really?”, Minwoo said and started to cry brokenly, sand caked in his hair, the cool evening air chilling his face.

“Really….really”,Eric said softly and released his grip on Minwoo and rolled to lay beside him. Minwoo cried openly. The tears that rolled down his face sparkled in the sun’s dying rays as the day turned to dusk. Eric sighed and exhaled the breath he’d been holding and looked up at the sky. A few stars could be seen and as he focused on them, one of them twinkled brightly.

“Why?”,Minwoo asked the man beside him, breaking his focus,”you could have just let me to what I planned to do.”

“I told you….. I don’t want it on my conscience”, Eric said and sat up, his back covered with sand.

“It’s more than that”,Minwoo said,”you offered me a job.”

Eric shrugged,”It seemed like the solution to your problem. It just so happened I had something to offer you.”

“You listened to me. You don’t know me and yet you listened to me”, Minwoo said and sat up,his legs crossed.

“Everyone needs someone to just listen sometimes. Even if I listened and you still walked away from here, you would know that someone tried.” Eric turned to face Minwoo,”You’re not just gonna leave here and tomorrow I’ll see a news story about a body found floating near a bridge or in an abandoned building, dead from asphyxiation?” Eric was genuinely worried about this troubled stranger.

“I don’t think so…..”, Minwoo said and shrugged,”I mean how do I know you’re really going to give me that job?”

Eric thought about it for a moment, trying to come up with a solution. Minwoo waited with bated breath.

“Stay with me. Call your parents, say you had to work late. I will take you with me to work personally in the morning.” Eric couldn’t believe he had just offered to let a total stranger stay at his place for the night.

Minwoo gave him a half smile then nodded,”Okay, you keep your promise and I will keep mine, I promise not to kill myself.”

Eric caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and got up to run to his fishing pole. The flexible rob jerked hard as he picked it up and gave it a sharp jerk. With quick movements he reeled his line in and on the hook at the end of it dangled a small fish.

“It’s so cute”, Minwoo said with a laugh as he got up and joined Eric.

“Should I keep it or throw it back?”, Eric asked as he pulled the hook from its mouth and held it in both hands. It wriggled, the scales flashing in the last of the days sunlight, dusk had arrived while they were bargaining for Minwoo’s life.

Well, I figure you saved one life tonight, why not make it two”, Minwoo said as he scooped the fish from Eric’s hands and squatted to release it back into water. In a flash of fins, the fish swam away, leaving Minwoo and Eric on the shoreline, watching the water lap gently at the banks.