edge ; knj

viii

eight

The closest convenience store was on the next street, and I sprinted all the way there. I was still out of breath as I scanned the candy aisle, searching for the chocolate. It was then that I realized I didn't have any money.

"Can I get some cigarettes and pay you back later?" I asked the guy behind the counter.

"Can I be the President?" He asked.

"I guess that means no?"

"How did you get to be so smart?"

The fact that Jung Ah was waiting for me was all I could think about as a I ran home. Talking to her got my adrenaline soaring, but in a good way. My leg was killing me, but the rest of me was just fine.

I ran up the front porch stairs, two steps at a time, grabbed my wallet and car keys, and was almost out the door when I heard, "Hey, son, a moment of your time please."

Shit. What was Dad doing home this early? Usually he was late. Sometimes he doesn't come home at all.

I reluctantly entered his office.

"Your sister told me what happened at school." He said. He was still wearing his suit. "So who's out to get you?"

"No one, it's no big deal," I said, looking at the clock. I could have killed hyungeun right then, but that would've taken more of my time. Jung Ah was waiting for me.

"Defamation of character is a big deal, son," Dad said, filling his glass of alcohol. "Someone has it out for you," he continued, "and we can't just ignore this."

I looked at the clock again and started to fidget.

"I've got this under control," I assured him. "Um, Dad, there's somewhere I need to be right now."

"What's more important than talking your Dad?" He said, offering me a grin.

"Nothing. Nothing is," I said, "but really, I have to be somewhere."

He got up and slapped me on the back. "Okay son, you go where you need to be, and tell Yerin I said hi."

I didn't correct him.

Like everyone else, my parents loved Yerin. If I told my father that I was buying cigarettes for a tattooed stranger, he wouldn't have let me off so easily.

~

By the time I drove back towards the store, the sun was setting. I pulled into the empty parking lot, made my purchases, and scrambled across the gravel pit. I didn't slow until I neared the laundromat.

When I entered the store, she wasn't in there. But on the machine where my clothes were being cleaned was a note. There was an address. But nothing I've ever heard of before.

I put the address into my GPS and drove to the place. I ended up in some place in the woods. In the distance, tucked behind some trees, I could make out something big and grey. It was an old trailer. I picked up a handful of rocks and threw them at the trailer. They made a satisfying thud. No one answered, but I was pretty sure this is where Jung Ah wanted me to be. I found myself walking towards the trailer.

"Is anyone in there?" I slowly opened the door, half scared of what I might find.

It wasn't what I was expecting.

Instead of a mosh pit of garbage, the trailer was surprisingly clean. Sparse, but clean, as if Jung Ah had taken pains to make it a home.

There were a couple of subway maps on the wall, and on the counter were cookies. In the corner were a little pillow and a thin blue blanket. A lantern sat on the floor near a pile of books.

I left the cigarettes and chocolate on the table.