HeungSoo I Time machine by LexMimieux

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September 2017 – HeungSoo

Days like this make me miss Colorado. The snowfall over my rooftop apartment makes me feel nostalgic. Colorado is behind me now. Since I had the career-ending injury to my knee during our championship game and subsequently retired from soccer, I moved back to Korea. Just as I quietly left for the United States, I quietly returned to South Korea three months ago.

Noona, God bless her, doesn't understand why I would rent a rooftop apartment in our old rundown neighborhood when I have a penthouse in the Gangnam neighborhood of Cheongdam. I just told her that I bought the penthouse as an investment. The real reason is that I feel more comfortable in the old neighborhood. And the rooftop apartment brings back memories.

I bundle up and walk to the neighborhood convenience store. I am out of ramen and soju, again. All the Christmas decorations crowding the neighborhood get more and more outrageous as the years roll by. I love Christmas but I am not in the mood to celebrate it. I walk into the store and head straight for the familiar aisle. I grab enough ramen packets to last me a couple of days and a few soju bottles.

After paying for my items, I open one bowl of ramen. I warm it in the store microwave and sit by their open window to have my dinner with a can of soda. I grab a magazine and flip through while consuming my dinner. Some business cards fall out of it. One card caught my eye immediately. It advertises lively conversations for the lonely and depressed and stresses it is for entertainment purposes only. I guess one out of two isn't bad. Not for me.

I put the magazine back on the rack, clean up where I ate, and waved to the cashier as I left the store. I had gone about fifty feet when I turned back. I went back to the store, to the window seat, grabbed the business card, and put it in my pocket. No harm in making just one call, right?

Noona and So Hyun were waiting outside my apartment when I got home.

"Let me guess ramen and soju for dinner," she shakes her head.

"Wrong! Ramen and soda. So Hyun! How are you?" I reach down and lift my seven-year-old niece and swing her around. She laughs out loud.

"Uncle stop I'm dizzy," she continues laughing.

"Say please."

"Please, uncle." I put her down gently and sit her on one of the four chairs outside my apartment. I sit next to her waiting for Noona to do the same.

"You're off work early today."

"I had to take So Hyun Christmas shopping. Your lawyer called me, he said he has been trying to reach you and left several messages. Why haven't you called him back, HeungSoo?"

"Because he wants me to micromanage him and I don't have the strength to do that. As long as he does what he is supposed to do, he does not have to call me every day. It's frustrating. If he wasn't trustworthy and good, I would've fired him a long time ago."

"I get it. But return his call and tell him to only call you once a week. That should work for both of you. You are spending Christmas and New Year's with us, right?"

"Aren't you going to your in-laws?"

"Not this year, thank God. This year they go to my sister in law's, so come on over. It's our first Christmas together in years. I'll make ramen."

"You had me at ramen," I smile at her.

"Well, we got to go. Let me leave you with your daily meal. Come on So Hyun, time to go."

"Bye Uncle", she skips down the stairs ahead of her mother. Noona rushes after her.

"Bye So Hyun, take care of your mommy."

I watch them go down the stairs, lean over the rooftop rails and watch them get in their car and drive off.

Noona is funny. She's just as bothersome as my lawyer. She visits with one pretense or the other at least twice a week. I go into the apartment and lay down on my sofa. I dig for the business card I grabbed at the convenience store. Running it back and forth through my fingers, I debate whether to call or not.

What the heck? I have nothing to do, why not chat with a nice lady. I place the call.

An automated voice comes on asking who I'll like to speak with. How do I know, I mean this is my first call. The voice proceeds to list the available people and type of conversations I can have. A long laundry list of choices and names. I decide to go with the last name given to me: Soo Min. Soo Min according to the automated voice is a college student, a great listener, who can help make your trouble go away. She'll meet all your needs the automated message says. So, I press nine and a hesitant voice answers the phone.

"Hello?"

"Soo Min?"

"Yes?"

"Hi. Umm, my name is..."

"Stop! We discourage using your real name."

"Oh sorry. Ok, call me...Joong Ki".

"Like the actor?"

"Sure. Why not."

She laughs and says "Joong Ki it is. So, Joong Ki, what do you want to talk about today?"

"Nothing. I just saw your business card and it was intriguing. A place for 'any type of conversation anytime any day' it says."

"That's right. We have people you can talk to at any time. So, what's on your mind today?"

"Nothing, I'm just bored and getting used to being back in Korea."

"You're Korean? Oh, where were you?"

"Overseas."

"Welcome back. Do you think Korea has changed since you left?"

"Yes and No. Things like buildings sprouting up are changes I noticed. And no, the people haven't changed, much."

"Are you glad to be back?"

"I'll let you know after my first full year back."

"Does that mean you'll call me again? That will be nice."

"We'll see. So, tell me, are you a university student?"

"Yes, I am."

"Which university?"

"Can't tell you."

"Fair enough. What were you doing before I called," I ask?

"Getting changed to go to a party."

"Oh, so what are you wearing?" I can't believe I asked that question, crap! So cliché.

She giggles, "a red, mini dress with silver stilettos."

Well in for a pound, so I ask her to describe herself in the dress for me.

"Okay since you asked nicely," she giggles, "I'll tell you. I am five feet seven, about a hundred and fifteen pounds, big hazel eyes, midnight black shoulder-length hair. Some friends say I have soft red lips..."

"...What do they say about your body, you know your legs, breasts, butt?" I interrupt her.

"Hmm, they say that my legs are long and toned. And I just shaved them too, by the way."

"Niceee. And your butt? What do they say?"

"Round and bouncy. And I wear 80F bra size."

"That's I think 36DD in American, right."

"Uhh not sure. What about you, describe yourself."

"I am six feet two inches tall, I played sports so you can say I'm quite fit."

"So how big are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I told you my breast size, now you tell me your dick length," she says flirting with me.

"To be honest, I've never measured my dick length, but I have never had a dissatisfied lover either."

"I know how we can figure out your dick length, you game?"

"How? You want to come over and measure me," I ask.

"No. Just relax and let me talk you through it."

"Okay."

I take a deep breath, leaned back, and wait for that voice to make me, what? Make my dick hard enough to measure, I guess. I can't believe I'm involved in phone sex. Oh well, nothing to lose.

"Now that I'm spending the evening with you, I'm going to take my red mini dress off. Oh! I forgot I have no bra or undies on," she giggles. "Silly me."

Wow! She's naked! I scoot further down my sofa and get ready for this sultry minx to get me off, I hope.

"So, Joong Ki, I am in your hands, what will you like me to do?"

"Me? Well, umm, I don't know. I've never done this before," I confess.

She laughs, "okay how about we take it slow. I'll lie down on my bed, naked under the covers while you tell me about yourself?"

"I am twenty-four years old, single male, ex-soccer player and..."

"Wait you play soccer?"

"Yes, but I'm retired."

"I had a best friend who played soccer. He was the best."

"He? Was he your boyfriend? Or friends with benefits?"

"No, just my best friend. He also moved overseas."

"Well, the best clubs are overseas, so I understand why he moved there. And to be honest, the pay is outrageous. So how old are you Soo Min?"

"I'm twenty years old. And you?"

"Twenty-four. To be honest, I have so bored since I got back to Seoul. I've no interest in doing anything."

"That's not good. We must get you going. You are in the trendiest city in the world. So much to do. Wait a minute, do you need a job?"

"I'm good. No need for a job right now. Don't get me wrong, I have been to some of my old stomping grounds, but most have changed."

"What about old friends?"

"I never had many friends and the one I had; I've lost touch with him."

"That's a shame. Don't worry I'll be your new friend. And as your new friend, who's willing to get you back into the thick of things, I have an assignment for you."

"Okay lay it on me, Soo Min."

"Tomorrow go to your old school and see if your favorite teacher is still around and pay him a visit."

"Her!"

"What?"

"My favorite teacher in high school was a female."

"Even better. Go and see what has or hasn't changed about your old high school."

"What will that do?"

"It will get you out of your house for one. And you'll have something to tell me when you call again."

"Who says I'll call you again?"

"No one, but I'm hoping you will."

I pause for a moment. Do I want to call this charming young lady back? The ease of our conversation reminds me of Namsoon. And I like it.

"Sure, I'll call back. If I'm going to school tomorrow, I need to get ready, so I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye Joong Ki, it has been a pleasure speaking with you. Listen next time you call you can just bypass customer service and just enter my ID# 452198, okay. That will get you directly to me unless it's after hours."

"Noted. Bye Soo Min and good luck with school."

"You too."

The call charges pinged on my cell immediately I hung up. We had talked for forty-five minutes and my bill is ₩ 184912.56! Holy crap! Thank God I can afford it. I lay my cell on my chest and take a deep breath. I liked talking to Soo Min. How did phone sex turn to the regular everyday conversation? I liked it.

Assignment, she said. I wonder if Teacher Jung is still teaching. Now I am curious to find out. I jump up dropping my cell and walked to my closet to find what I'll wear to school tomorrow.

I wonder if Teacher Jung will know where Namsoon is. I wonder if I'll even ask.

                                        ― ☾ ―

I stand outside the school, surprised that I am willingly doing something a stranger over the phone asked me to. I need my head examined. I look at the three-story buildings and I am flooded with memories of my first day here after my initial run-in with Namsoon outside the school gates. Of course, I would also run into KangJoo.

Teacher Jung was the only one who saw through my defense and broke down my wall. She helped Namsoon and I be friends again. I hope she's still here. I would love to see her again.

The security guy walks me to the administrative office. The teachers' chairs look the same after all these years. And it takes me back to my frequent visits to our nemesis Uhm Dae-woong also known as "Uhm Force" our dreaded math teacher. I pass his desk and walk to the side by side desks of our homeroom teachers. I remember the debacle of having first one homeroom teacher, Teacher Jung then Teacher Kang then both teachers then back to Teacher Jung. The constant change was enough to give us whiplash. But everything worked out fine because we loved Teacher Jung and hated Teacher Kang.

I walk further into the room and greet a female teacher I'm not familiar with. Good. At least this one is not aware of my reputation.

"Good afternoon ma, do you know if Teacher Jung still teaches here?"

"Jung In-Jae?"

"Yes, ma."

"Yes, she does but she's on maternity leave."

"She has a baby? Did she get married? When? To whom?"

"Who are you?" She asks.

"Park Heung Soo," says the voice of my high school nightmares. The voice I hope had died, retired, or just plain vanished into thin air. I straightened up and turned. I bow to our math teacher "Uhm Force". He looks the same, standing there with his sidekick, the unbreakable cane he carries all the time.

"His name is Park Heung Soo, one of our more memorable graduates, Teacher Kim. So how have you been?" he asks me as he walks towards his chair or throne as we used to call it.

"I'm doing well sir."

"It's like you disappeared suddenly. No one could find you. Good to see you. Did you come to see Teacher Jung? She should be back from maternity leave in about two weeks."

"Does Teacher Jung still have the same phone number?"

"I can't verify or give you that information. It is against our rule to give out teacher's information. I suggest you try the number you have and if it's not hers, you can always come back in two weeks when she returns," he tells me.

Somethings never change. Uhm Force and his rules. I thank him, said goodbye, and left the administrative offices. I walk down the hall pass the dining area to our classroom. I stop and peek in and I can swear I could picture every classmate in their assigned seats. Namsoon's head on his desk fast asleep, HaGyeong in the front seat with her head in her books. KangJoo alternating between bugging Namsoon and HaGyeong, and MinKi reading. Oh Jung-ho, Lee Ji-hoon and Lee Yi-Kyung permanently stationed in the last row, their chairs tilted back, their feet up and terrorizing their fellow students.

I walk further making my way out of the school. I get back in my car and pull out my phone. I hope that I still have Teacher Jung's phone number. I scroll down my contact list, and there she is. I take a deep breath and finger shaking press the call button.

One, two, three, four rings. I was about to hang up when I hear that voice, that lovely voice say "Park HeungSoo?"

"Teach," I reply just as I used to.

"Park HeungSoo is that you? Where have you been? Every class reunion, I don't see you or Namsoon. How are you? Where are you?" She rushes on.

"I am fine, Teach. I am outside the school. I came to see you and I'm told you're on maternity leave. Congratulations."

"Thank you. I don't live very far from the school. Come visit. I'll text you my address."

"What about your husband, I mean you're married right?" She laughs and I can picture her eyes twinkle as they used to when she laughs.

"He won't mind. He's looking forward to seeing you."

"I'm on my way."

I drive first to a nearby store and got some fruits and a generic toy. Since I don't know the baby's gender, generic is the way to go. I type in her address and GPS confirms only a fifteen-minute drive. I am excited to see my favorite teacher. It is good to be excited about something or someone again.

The directions land me in front of a small bungalow house. This house is just perfect for Teacher Jung. The outside is surrounded by brightly colored flowers and small trees. There is a swing on the patio and a welcome mat at the door. Charming, beautiful, and warm just like Teacher Jung.

I knock on the door and imagine my surprise at the person who opens the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask.