Читать книгу Blood Sisters - Kim Yideum - Страница 12

Aldebaran

Lately, Jimin Sunbe seems to be plotting something with other Sunbes. Jimin spent the past four days protesting at the day-and-night nonstop rally after the activist Lee Hanyeol passed away. She’s that kind of bleeding heart. She resigned as the PR manager of the Feminist Students’ Association group to go join the laborers at the Guro workshop. She gave up on that mission after her mom threw a fit, but she’s still a troublemaker, big time. For some reason, she tries to embrace all the illnesses of the world with her bleeding heart.

During finals week, I never see Jimin come back to the apartment. She says she’s been studying late at the library and in the activity room, but I don’t know if she’s even taking the exams or eating enough. She won’t answer me when I ask what she’s been up to, or if she does, the answer is curt. I want to hassle her into telling me what’s going on, but I can’t. I’m close to academic suspension myself. I turn in my German Grammar exam with almost nothing filled out, and the professor rejects my late paper. The electives aren’t too bad, but even in those, I’m not sure what kind of grades I’ll receive.

* * *

At Instant Paradise, the owner seems to have taken to me, so she doesn’t care if I don’t come to work during finals. She even copied the key to the café for me to keep, telling me to feel free to come study there. Tonight she’s standing on the street with Nana in her arms.

“The stars are beautiful tonight,” she says. I look up into the sky. When I walk, I only look down at the ground. Frankly, I find the people who ramble about the stars pathetic.

“I don’t see any.”

“You have to envision them through your imagination. One star, two stars, three stars.”

There are too many of these romantic literary types in the world. I walk into the café, and she follows me.

“Yeoul, what’s your zodiac sign?”

I’m getting real sick of this shit. “I was born in May, so probably Taurus.”

“Hmm. You were born under the influence of Aldebaran. It’s a large star, and in astrology, it’s the star that brings fortune.”

“Hmm. I guess that’s nice.” I find it strange how chummy she’s being with me tonight. I wonder if she wants something from me. “Aren’t you busy today? You usually are.”

“Not today. By the way, did you know that you’re popular here? Someone was looking for you.”

“Me? Who was it?” I ask, intrigued.

“I dunno. We talked a little over drinks. I think he runs a hospital over in Gupo.”

“I don’t know anyone like that. He must’ve been looking for someone else.”

“Sure. You need to get your tuition for the next semester ready, right? I’ll pay you in advance so you can go buy some pretty clothes. You’re wearing the same clothes all the time. When do you even wash them?”

Embarrassed, I mumble that I haven’t eaten yet, so I need to get some food. In the kitchen, Eunyong whispers to me.

“Yeoul, she’s trying to take you to her bar in Gwang-an. Be careful. Once you start working there, you can’t really leave … There was another woman who worked here and left to work at that bar, and she … changed.”

“What kept the café owner from taking you there?”

“I like it here. Sungyun Oppa² is nice to me. And I’m still a high school senior—a super senior at that. The customers at the bars prefer college girls. I’m not that pretty anyway.”

“Super senior would imply you’re actually prepping for the college entrance exam. I haven’t seen you crack a book once.”

“What, you think I like living like this? My mom says I don’t need to go to college anyway. I’m just going to get married after making some nest egg money.”

Eunyong and I make bibimbop in the kitchen. We mix the rice, bellflower roots, bean sprouts, some greens, and chili paste. The owner’s mom often cooks for us and sends the food to us via Sungyun. Sometimes she sends something simple. Rice, soup, and kimchi. Sometimes she sends marinated beef. She must be feeding us so that we’ll work hard at her daughter’s café. It’s fine when she doesn’t send us anything, we just cook ourselves ramen or pork cutlets, or order Chinese. Mothers seem to be their daughters’ guardian angels or their enemies, there is no middle ground.

It’s time to close the café, but the toothbrush salesman walks in. His hair is wet. It must be raining outside. We were ready to close so we all stand awkwardly.

“Come over here and eat some of this.” The toothbrush salesman puts a big cake box on the table. We are all hungry. Sungyun appears out of nowhere and starts eating the cake with his hands. After scarfing down the entire cake, we remember to thank him.

The toothbrush salesman notices the music in the café. “Wait, you’re listening to Zarathustra?!”

“You know this band? Yeoul said she’s the only one who knows them!” Eunyong sticks her tongue out and calls me a liar.

“Your name is Yeoul? What’s your last name? I came here to see you the other day, but you weren’t here. I asked the owner about you.” As I examine him, I realize that he reminds me of the photograph of my father when he was young: his pupils float in the upper side of the whites, the bridge of his nose is well defined, and the corners of his mouth are turned upward. “I should introduce myself first. My name is Han Jihyun. I live nearby, so I hang out around here.”

* * *

I walk back home. I think of the café owner’s remark. Aldebaran, schmaldebaran. There’s not a single star to be seen, not even the moon can be seen in the sky tonight. I preferred the mandatory study halls, and nights I spent questioning what the point of my life even was, over working this pointless part-time job. I received my paycheck today, but I didn’t even open the envelope. It doesn’t feel like the hard-earned fruits of my labor. But maybe I’m overthinking all this, too influenced by Jimin’s Marxist ideology.

On the sidewalk, I’m waiting for the light to turn green when someone slaps my back. I turn around to find my high-school friend.

“Oh my God! Is that you, Hyunmi?”

“Yeah! You look just the same.”

“I thought you had gone to study abroad in America.”

“No, my visa for America took too long to be processed, so I had to postpone my departure. I was actually going home after my going-away party with friends just now. I’ve been wondering what you’re up to. Miryong and Eunsook said they both tried to contact you for the party, but … what’s wrong with your stepmother? She cussed at them like a crazy person. I thought I wasn’t going to see you before I left. Let’s go somewhere and catch up.”

2. Oppa is a term used to address an older brother and is also a term of endearment women sometimes use to address an older man.