Kim Su Yeong had a hesitant smile at our first meeting. Spontaneity had taken over by the time he sat sipping the black noodles across the table on the black day last 14th. He was cracking jokes and bursting into bouts of laughter in between the sips of soju of which he had already emptied a couple of bottles.
Su Yeong was not a student in the University. He hailed from a village far off and was working in a small single room firm in nearby downtown. By the end of the day, he would transform the same office room into his house. His ambition in life was to become an elementary school teacher and teach English to little children and he had been saving to realize his dream. It was for furthering his language skills that he used to come to the campus and tried to win over a few foreigner friends. But just prior to our meeting, he had fallen foul of the foreigner gang in the campus after he had asked an alien female if she would marry him.
Koreans have many days for the young and the young at heart to celebrate love. Interestingly the 14th of every month marks a love related day in Korea. Thus they have the Candle Day, the Valentine’s Day, the White Day, the Black Day, the Rose Day, the Kiss Day, the Silver Day, the Green Day, the Music Day, the Wine Day, the Movie Day and the Hug Day from January to December. As if that isn’t enough, they also have a Pepero Day, on November 11 when the young couples exchange Pepero cookies resembling the date 11/11.
The ladies have the first chance to express their love interest. So on Valentine’s Day, the ladies profess their love by giving chocolate and flowers to men. Men have their turn a month later on the white day when they can return non-chocolate candy to women.
The lonely souls aren’t left alone. On 14th of April falls the Black Day; when those who spent Valentine’s Day and White Day alone go out dressed in all black to eat the black noodles, JjaJangMyun (짜장면) and to mourn their lonely life. It is said that it had been created by those who felt left out on the Valentine’s Day and White Day festivities to console each other.
Although he had agreed to join me on the black day ‘blast’, Kim was not always alone. He boasted about having his chocolates and flowers from his girl friend, a student in the University.
She was from a poor farmer’s family. But she was pretty. He used to buy her the text books and even paid her fees once.
By now he had gulped down enough alcohol to derail his train of thoughts and out of the blue, came that quintessential question of male self doubt;
“Do you think, dear brother, that I am handsome?”
“Of course, yes”; I replied, “many a beautiful girl out there might be dying to date you”.
He wasn’t impressed and shrugged his shoulders as he cleared the next bottoms up.
As the day of her graduation neared she began to have second thoughts and on the day of her convocation she returned the books and bade adieu. She had bigger dreams and couldn’t reconcile herself to being the wife of a small town elementary school teacher.
It is better to be alone and not swallow the bitter pill of rejection.
He was still laughing as he finished his story; but the tone of his throat was unfailingly betraying him.
I patted him on the back and put a hand on his shoulder as he stood up, apologizing for spoiling my day.
And we had a hearty black day laugh over his final statement.
“Sorry brother, all brain alcohol…”
