From Wonso Pond by Kang Kyong-ae Page B

appeared, carrying his bowl of water. Oh, the sight of her bathed in the pure white light of the moon! She looked many times lovelier than did the Sonbi of the daylight. While she’d disappeared into the kitchen, Sinch’ol had come up with a new plan of action, but now that he saw her coming toward him, his plan escaped him and he panicked. He took the bowl of water from her and put it to his lips. He was terribly thirsty, but for some reason his throat refused to comply. He swallowed the wrong way, and by the time he stopped coughing and tried to hand the bowl back to her, she’d already vanished. He looked behind him. The hem of Sonbi’s skirt was disappearing around the corner towards the outhouse.

30
    He stared into the darkness. Could Sonbi really dislike me so very much? he wondered. Then he realized how foolish and downright vulgar he was acting. He wanted to throw the bowl to the ground and smash it into a million pieces. But as he looked into the bowl with angry eyes, he saw the moon that had earlier hidden itself from his view. It had fallen into the water, and quivered there ever so slightly. He could feel the anger inside him gradually subsiding. The water now seemed to reflect something in his heart. But this, too, was yet another of his fleeting thoughts. For now he laughed at how foolishly he was behaving, standing there analyzing this bowl! A sadness swept through his body, a feeling that his heart was somehow barren. With the water bowl still in his hand, he went back to his room.
    He heard someone walking across the breezeway, and his door slowly slid open. A woman walked into the room. He looked at her in surprise.
    â€œHey, why aren’t you asleep?”
    He caught the scent of face cream in the air along with the powerful scent of a young woman’s flesh. He felt strangely excited by Okchom in an altogether new way.
    â€œWhat are you doing up and about?”

    Sinch’ol managed to keep calm with his reply, but all sorts of emotions now swept through him, together with the fear that she could very well have seen everything that had just transpired. On any other day, Okchom might have come up to Sinch’ol’s side and whispered something into his ear, but now she just stood there awkwardly.
    â€œWell, either sit down or go on back to bed.”
    Sinch’ol surmised that Okchom had indeed witnessed everything. Perhaps Sonbi had left him without taking back the bowl precisely because she had seen Okchom. He could have killed himself for being so stupid.
    Okchom stood thinking for a moment, then sat down next to Sinch’ol.
    â€œSonbi is pretty, isn’t she?”
    The unexpected question was like a raised fist thrust before him in the darkness. Sinch’ol had been caught off guard, and he hesitated.
    â€œYeah, she is,” he finally replied, looking at Okchom.
    Okchom hung her head, then snapped it back up again. “I should officially introduce you then.”
    â€œOkay.”
    Okchom sprung to her feet.
    â€œI’ll go get her.”
    At this, Sinch’ol lost his composure. He grabbed Okchom’s nightgown and pulled her toward him. Then, in an effort to preserve his dignity he spoke to her in a tone of reconciliation.
    â€œNow, Okchom, don’t be so childish . . . You have tomorrow and the next day to introduce us. Why ever would you want to do it at this time of night?”
    Okchom grabbed the hand with which Sinch’ol was clutching her nightgown, and started to sob. All the passion she’d held inside until this moment seemed to find an outlet in her tears. Sinch’ol put his arms around her without thinking, and held her tightly around the waist. But the image of the moon quivering in his bowl of water flashed before his eyes, and he slowly saw Sonbi appear before him, glowing in the pure white light of the moon. He slipped his hands away from Okchom and tried to sit back, but a flame had been kindled inside of him