Namjoon: 15 June Year 22

I looked down at the kid frantically eating ramen. He was eight, maybe ten. He would occasionally look up and check my expression while slurping the noodles that hadn’t even cooled yet. When I asked him what his name was, he replied, “Woochang. Song Woochang.” As the soup splattered onto his t-shirt that was clearly already stained, he mumbled about his grandma scolding him while rubbing at it with his fingers.   

 

The first time I saw Woochang was about two months ago. I had returned from the gas station when I saw Woochang standing in front of the shipping container in the back. I thought he must be taking a shortcut by walking through here. A shipping container yard is not a place for a child to live. But after about two weeks had passed, I saw Woochang kicking a soccer ball alone in the empty space next to a container. After that, I ran across Woochang a few more times. He was always wandering alone until late at night, wearing the same shirt, same pants, and same shoes. Even at a glance, it was clear that no adults were looking after him. That being said, I couldn’t do anything for him. Even looking after him is beyond my abilities. I always passed by pretending I didn’t see him. 

 

It was a little after 10 p.m. when I came back to the shipping container yard after finishing my shift at the gas station. I was digging around for my keys in my pocket when the shadow of a crouching figure caught my eye. It was Woochang. If I didn’t pay him any mind just as I always had, that would be the end of it. If I had just found my key, opened the container door, ate ramen alone, and went to sleep, that would be the end. But today, I couldn’t do that. I didn’t want to do that. 

 

I looked up at the sky. It was cloudy all day. Gray clouds heavily covered the night sky as well. I couldn’t see anything, not even the stars. I was suddenly hungry. If I remembered correctly, there was no more than one cup of ramen in my container. I didn’t have anything else and I didn’t have the strength to go get something. Those were my circumstances. I looked down at the keys I had taken out of my pocket. The scenery I saw while I was leaving the country town popped into my head. I thought about the phrase I wrote on the bus window. 

 

I walked toward Woochang.

 

@shootinghearts_

 

 

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