8: Pork Belly

I did not know what to think when I found myself in front of Pork Belly’s house. I only heard that Pork Belly was living in a red-light district but didn’t think I truly believed it until I was there.

Maybe this is why the homeroom teacher did not wanted to tell me the address till the last minute?

 

I stared at the house in front of me in a daze. The building looked like a store of some sort. There was glass door that covered the whole front part of the store. It did not have any sign indicating what they were selling. I studied the make shift map in my hand and looked up at the store in front of me. A person came out through the glass door.

 

“Oh, who are you? This is not a place for a little kid like you. Get out of here.”

 

Is that what my brother called a crazy disheveled hair? A woman who came out from the store had the biggest permed hair and wore risky sleeveless shirt with a very very short shorts. She looked at me once and spoke in a shocked voice.

 

“Uhm..I came to meet Seung-Pyo.”

“Seung-Pyo? Who is that?”

 

She stepped toward me as she frowned. I looked around the street that had similar stores just like the one that I was standing in front of. Did I came through the wrong street? But the lady whom I spoke to about the address said it was the third house on the street…

 

“Sis!! Who is Seung-Pyo?”

The woman became impatient when I did not say anything and yelled toward the store. Few moments later, a face of woman who had a thick layer of makeup popped out from the side door in the store. The face of woman answered the woman in front of me.

 

“You bitch! Whoever Seung-Pyo is, go buy me that thing!”

“eh- Sis, some kid came to find a person named Seung-Pyo!”

“What?”

 

Now that I looked closer, the woman with thick layer of makeup looked ferocious. The woman pushed her body further out from the door and studied me.

 

“Are you a friend of Seung-Pyo who called me earlier?”

 

A friend? Well I did say that I was his friend when she asked over the phone..

 

“What? Ah..Yes.”

 

Disconcerted, I nodded my head.

“Seung-Pyo, that bastard is not here right now. Don’t know where he has gone off to when he is going to go away tomorrow anyway.. What, is it something urgent?”

“Yes..I really need to see him.”

 

I answered with desperate expression. The woman studied me for a moment before she yelled at the woman who was standing in front of me.

 

“Yo bitch. Bring this kid to Seung-Pyo’s room. He should crawl back in for his stuffs sometime.”

“Sis, who is this Seung-Pyo?!”

“YOU BITCH! Who do you think you’re yelling at?! Seung-Pyo is the son of Mi-Seon!!”

“Ah..that fatty? Wow, his name was Seung-Pyo? I didn’t know~”

 

They went back and forth like that for a while before the big permed head finally brought me to the alleyway beside the store. We walked to the back of the building.

When we reached the back, there was a small door. The woman opened the door and pointed toward it with her chin.

 

“Get in, it’s the door to your right. DO NOT go anywhere else kid. Understand?”

 

 

*

I might have fell asleep. I realized I was not in my room when I heard a familiar voice from beyond the door.

I shook my head to wake up. I must have slid from the yellow wall where I was leaning against because I was lying on my side, back to the wall. I pushed against the floor to sit again in the room when I heard the familiar voice again.

 

“Don’t f***ing lie to me, you bitch!”

“You fatty! Don’t curse like that to me! Do you want to follow your mother to death?!”

“You crazy bitch, it’s because you are lying! What do you mean my friend came-“

 

The door to the two pyeong* room burst opened. I saw Pork Belly frozen in place as he look at me sitting in his room.

*A Korean unit of area and floorspace, equal to a square kan or 36 square Korean feet (from Wicipedia)*

 

“SEE?! Am I lying? Uh? You rude little bastard. Hueh.. You better be gone tomorrow. Foul-mouthed bastard..”

 

The woman who was glaring at Pork Belly was the big permed head who guided me into the room earlier. She left after scolding Pork Belly some more.

 

“You..why are you here?”

 

Would it make sense if I say Pork Belly’s eyes were alive? Through the horizontal slit of his eye lids, fiercely shining eyes glared at me. When I heard Pork Belly’s deep voice asking a question, I turned my eyes away as I got up from the floor.

 

“..I have something to tell you.”

 

Hearing my answer, he wrinkled his brows and walked toward a bag lying at the corner of the room. He sat down in front of it.

Without a word, Pork Belly opened a three-tiered drawer which was one of the few furniture in the room and started packing the contents of it into his bag.

I stood there watching Pork Belly packing away what little he had into his bag. Pork Belly who was organizing things into his bag suddenly stopped his hands and asked without turning around.

 

“F***ing bastard, I thought you had something to tell me! Whatever it is, hurry up and get the F*** out. I’m going to leave soon.”

 

Pork Belly zipped up and carried the lightly packed bag as he stood up from the floor.

 

“I..thought you were leaving tomorrow?”

“F***. What do you care if I leave today or tomorrow?!”

 

Yeah, it is true that I have nothing to do with that.. As I looked at Pork Belly who had his bag all ready at his side and was frowning, I remembered what the big permed head said before she left us.

Pork Belly’s mother was dead.

When I see Pork Belly cursing away I feel unsympathetic but somehow I wanted to ask.

 

“Did your mom passed away?”

 

Pork Belly who was about to walk pass me stopped walking and looked up at my face.

I was expecting another round of curses from him but Pork Belly simply nodded his head.

 

“Yes.”

“Where are you going now?”

“Don’t know.”

 

Don’t know? To Pork Belly’s absurd answer, I could only blink my eyes and gape at him. Pork Belly muttered something under his breath.

 

“…I hate staying in this room.”

 

Maybe because Pork Belly’s answer sounded like what normal kid at my age would say, I offered an alternative. Pork Belly was avoiding my eyes and I hesitated a little, but I offered nonetheless,

 

“Then.. Do you want to come to my house?”

 

*

 

When we got to my house, mom looked at Pork Belly strangely, but she nodded her head when I told her that Pork Belly was moving tomorrow and was only going to stay one night before heading to bus terminal tomorrow morning to meet with his family.

As we entered my room, I noticed Pork Belly’s stiff body language and his awkward ‘thank you’ to my mom. He was too obviously self-conscious. I could not help but smile.

 

“What..Shit..Why are you smiling?”

“Nothing. I just felt weird not hearing you curse.”

“That’s because..your mother was there..”

 

He wrinkled one of his brows out of habit and just stood there in my room.

 

“What are you doing, seat.”

 

There were one desk and a small wardrobe in my room. By having two furnitures taking up space, there was barely any room available for two people to lie down. Seeing Pork Belly who was short but fat in my room, I suddenly felt like my room looked smaller.

Pork Belly studied my room curiously before carefully putting down his bag opposite me. He sat down beside his bag.

 

“My room is small isn’t it? But it will be enough for us to sleep.”

“…”

It is very awkward when the other person don’t answer you when you talk to them..It looked like Pork Belly was also feeling uncomfortable. I wanted to say my speech of apology but it was very difficult for me to open my mouth to say the words.

How do I start my words? If I say I misunderstood, would he beat me again?

My complicated thoughts jumbled together in my head, making me unsure of myself. I was scratching the floor with my nail when Pork Belly suddenly jumped up from the floor and got to his feet.

 

“Eh? Why?”

“I’m..gonna go.”

“Go, why?”

 

I followed him and stood up from the floor. I blinked my eyes in question and Pork Belly avoided my stare as he mumbled.

 

“Just cause..”

 

Ah..Is he feeling uneasy? That’s right, he doesn’t like me. He even got scolded by the teachers because of me and he wrote the letter of apology.. While I was thinking over possible reasons for Pork Belly’s discomfort Pork Bell bent over to pick up his bag and was already turning his body to leave.

“Ahk.. ya don’t go.”

Without much thought, I grabbed Pork Belly’s arm and stop him from leaving the room. He only turned his head around and stared up at me.

 

“It’s just..you know.. the truth is..”

“…”

 

I could not bear to meet Pork Belly’s eyes, so I rolled my eyes away. A while later, I caught a glimpse of Pork Belly from the corner of my eyes with much effort and opened my mouth.

 

“I’m sorry..Seung-Pyo. My ripped painting..I now know that it wasn’t you who did it. I am sorry I suspected you…and sorry that I hit-”

“Forget it.”

 

Pork Belly curtly cut me off and shook off my hand from his arm. He turned his head away again.

 

“Can we sit down for a moment. Where are you going to go?”

“It is none of your business. You are just feeling guilty for what you did.”

 

That is true.. but that wasn’t all.. I grabbed Pork Belly’s arm again and unconsciously bit down on my lower lip.

Seeing this, Pork Belly lowered his head and spoke in a barely audible voice.

 

“…If not..do you think I’m pitiful?”

 

Pity? Suddenly I remembered the conversation I had with Yun-Su some time ago.

Now that I think about it, when Pork Belly fought Eun-Hye Yun-Su did bring up something about Pork Belly being pitiful while calming me down.

I did not know at the time, but would it be possible that Pork Belly was hurt by that word? Swallowing back my sigh, I dragged Pork Belly down back onto the floor to sit.

 

“I feel apologetic, that’s all. What pity? I just wanted to say sorry and-“

 

I purposely slurred the end of my sentence and looked side way toward Pork Belly. I felt his gaze on me.

I felt too embarrassed to speak under his gaze. I scratched my head as I spoke the last part of my sentence.

“…I wanted to become more acquainted with you.”

 

 

*

“F***ing bastard.”

“What?”

Coughing up blood, I raised my voice but maybe Pork Belly was right. Maybe I really was a f***ing bastard.

“Then are you not a f***ing bastard? You who did not do anything to the f***ing class president even though he ripped your painting?

 

The room was illuminated by a desk lamp and we were sitting up against the wall, side by side. I brought out a blanket and covered our legs. I filled Pork Belly in on everything that happened in his absence and my conversation with Yun-Su today.

Before I found Pork Belly, I watched Yun-Su’s expression as I asked him once again if he ripped my painting to confirm. Yun-Su admitted what he did as if it was nothing. As if what he did was something insignificant.

He reacted so nonchalantly that just for a moment I doubted whether I was asking him to join me for a baseball game after school or I was accusing him of a despicable deed.

With an innocent expression, Yun-Su walked pass me and went back to the classroom. I stood there in the back of the school building. Even after the class started, I could not bring myself to move from the spot.

That was the moment I realized that the half of my world was built on a lie. My world was crumbling around me as I stood there.

 

“Really..I feel like I am an idiot.”

 

I spoke with a small sigh. Pork Belly countered bluntly with one of his eye brows furrowed.

 

“You know it now, that should be enough.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, blockhead. Now that you know what he is like, don’t follow him around anymore.”

 

Follow him around.. I didn’t really picture myself that way, but it is true that I was really attached to Yun-Su.

At first, I was very happy to have a friend who seemed so perfect. And then he cared for me which made me feel excited and allowed me to rely on him even more.

Because I was depending on him for most of things, rather than being angry at Yun-Su for doing something wrong, I was looking for ways to cope with the situation.

It is like a wall. Yun-Su is like a wall that I can never climb over..

 

“Tsk.. If you really get to know him, he is the most childish one of all.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That bastard always acts conceited. He pretends to be a grown up and tell people what to do. Even though he pretends to act mature, when it counts he does what others wouldn’t do to secure his position like ripping someone else’s painting.”

 

I stared at Pork Belly’s thick profile with my mouth slightly open, stupefied. Childish? Yun-Su is childish? Yun-Su who is one of the smartest kids in school?

 

“Why are you acting like an idiot with your mouth hanging open? Now that you know what you are dealing with, you should be start thinking about how to screw him over. Blockhead.”

“Do you think so..”

“Do I think what?”

“Is Yun-Su..Childish? Ha..”

 

Just few hours ago, I was worried that Yun-Su did what he did not because of the immature reason but because he had some bad feelings toward me and that he kept his feelings hidden from me.

If what Pork Belly is saying is true, everything becomes much simpler.

The wall that I thought to be tall was surmountable. Yun-Su was not some great kid.. In fact, he was just a kid. A kid who was very immature.

I could not stop my smile and still had my mouth open. Pork Belly looked at me for a moment as if I was a crazy person before lay down on his back.

 

“Stop smiling like you have no brain and go to slee-“

“Thank you, Seung-Pyo.”

“W..what?”

“Just.. thank you.”

 

I spoke as I patted his head. He turned his back on me with his blushing face buried in his pillow.

 

“S..Shut up. Just turn off the light..”

“Ok.. Ah, Can I ask where you are transferring to?”

“…Seoul*.”

“Wow.. That’s awesome. I never been to Seoul before.”

“What is awesome.. I have to live with a pervert.”

*Seoul is the capital of South Korea*

Pervert? Now I think about it.. who is Pork Belly going to live with?”

 

“Who is that?”

“There is a such person. A king of the perverts.”

 

Who might that king of the perverts be, I wondered in my head as I got up to turn off the desk lamp. I asked Pork Belly one last question.

 

“Before you transfer, if there is anything you want, let me know. I will give it to you.”

 

Before I turn off the desk lamp, I waited for his answer. Pork Belly’s body was curled up like a shrimp with the blanket covering all the way up to his brows. I decided that he was already asleep.

Maybe he didn’t hear me? However, when I turned off the light and lay down next to Pork Belly, I heard his small voice.

 

“…… The drawing that you gave to your friends.. give me one of those.”

“What? Dragon Ball? Okay. But, which character do you want me to draw?”

“I don’t know.. give me the one that you drew in the guidance center. The one that looked like a snake.”

“…..A dragon, you mean.”

“F***.. Anyway, yes, that.”

“Okay. Its on my desk, so I will give it to you in the morning. But it’s called a dragon.”

“Son of a bitch! I got it!”

“Yes. A dragon.”

“You shit face!!!”

In that dark room, we had a small debate about the differences between a snake and a dragon before we fell into a deep sleep.

---

TN: I feel like I am learning new curse words translating this book. I adore the interactions between Seung-Pyo and Jung. They were so adorable when they were kids… I had fun translating this chapter.