It Ends with Us • Kim Mingyu

[twenty]

A sudden vibration on my left side wakes me up. As consciousness begins to formulate inside me – like an infant spark of a fire cracker at first, and gradually, a stinging sensation of a gel daubing over the darkness – I clamp my mouth shut (yes, I sleep with my mouth open) and reach for the vibration source. What's the time? Who's calling now?

I lift my head, heavy as an oversized wet blanket, and swipe up the dial. "Hello," I say, squeezing my eyes shut. It feels like someone is holding a bright torch against them. Rings of darkness throb behind the spot between my eyebrows. I rub my eyes with with my index finger. Boogers come in contact. Getting them cleaned, I dully look around. Ten minute left until it's ten. I still happen to be on the couch. The back of it has suffered a noticeable wet stain where I laid my head, still wrapped around in a towel.

Against the mint green covering, the stain is darker, resembling the shape of a slimy circle. It reminds me vaguely of urinated beds -- Brownie had wet the carpet in the hospital few days ago after Jeonghan tried to sneak her in. This reminder makes the dullness in my head grow more prominent. I strip the towel off the and leave it on my lap. My somewhat damp hair falls across my neck, like mop strings made of ice. Slowly it dissipates cognizance to the after-sleep disoriented haze.

"Heeey, Miyeon. How's it going?" Woozi speaks in a heightened pitch, but an obscure slash cuts over the next words. I remember seeing the caller id to be Hoshi, so I bring the phone to my face. I press it back against my ear, seeing it is indeed Hoshi, but I don't bother asking why it isn't him speaking. I realize I can hardly form two words together. It's as if waking up caused my voice to slip into a gutter from my throat. I breath in sharply to my stomach and out with my entire body, waiting for my voice to clear. 

"Hey, what's up?" I say. "What happened to your phone?"

"Hey, Miyeon. It's me, Hoshi. We're on speaker." Hoshi says, but it sounds like his voice his coming from the far side of the room. "How are you? Have you reached? Can you hear me?"

I pinch my eyebrows tighter, because it sounds like someone is playing pillow passing with the phone. "I've – I've reached. That's what you're asking, right? I'm here. It's been a while. How are you? Did the apartment hunt go well?"

I remember the part where Hoshi told me Dino already signed the lease for the apartment near Han River. I shift the phone to my other ear and decide to rephrase it. "I mean, how was the apartment? What did you think of it?"

"There's nothing to think of, really." Hoshi says, with a mildness of disappointment. "The apartment itself is much simpler. There is a veranda quiet spacious. You get a view of the neighborhood from that. There's a store room down the garage, but nothing really stands out, you know? It's pretty bland. The rent is much higher comparing to that, but of course, it's near Han river. You can't expect minimal rent in that area. But if Dino divides it with his roommates, it should be affordable. Hey Miyeon, Jihoon wants to talk to you. I'm giving him the phone."

After a pause, Woozi enters the line. "You can hear me, right? The cell tower faced some casualty earlier afternoon. A fire or something. I don't know if it was bad, but it's disrupting the signal all over the town," Woozi gives me a moment, as if to picture the situation. "Do you like the house? Isn't it vacant out there? Bet you can only find what's necessary for survival. Not even a plant included out of love. Seriously, what are you doing there?"

I look behind to see if Mrs. Kim and Mingyu are still here. Mingyu's spot is empty. His apron is hanging from the fridge handle. Mrs. Kim's taut back faces me the same way it did before I fell asleep; stood still by the stove, gazing intently at an earthen pot on the burner. By the intensity yet calmness of her gaze, I can picture her controlling what's happening inside the closed lid, how fast or slow the things are boiling, how big or small the broth bubbles are going to be, the shade of it, everything.