The Wind Loop

09 | marcid

She was about to open the door of the car but Ju Ho was quick to reach it before her. He held the handle of the opened door and motioned her to get inside.

After making sure that Ye Bin was comfortable inside, he got inside and closed the door properly. Their moist umbrellas were now resting on the floor of the car. The driver repeated the address he had been told to be sure again. Ju Ho added his approval and they started moving on the asphalt road smoothly.

Ju Ho stared at the blurry window that gave him a glimpse of the scenery outside that was being swept by the rain. The coolness of the air conditioner made him feel drowsy. It was a perfect weather to sleep without batting an eye with the problems in one's life. He had somehow slept on the floor of the reception last night. He barely had anything more than two minutes of peace there because of the screaming infants and the chatter of the others.

He turned to Ye Bin to see if she was alright. Funnily, she was catching up on her sleep with her head resting on the window, unlike him. She looked drained out of energy and very eminent dark circles coated the layer under her eyes.

Ye Bin reminded of himself. A bit too much. She was stubborn and didn't try to rub off her sharp pride at the slightest. Holding onto a fragile strip of fabric called confidence, at extreme odds required a great deal of courage. The dream to thrive gracefully in a pond full of mud and insects surely invoked a feeling of uncertainty at some point.

Ju Ho couldn't peel off his eyes from her colour-drained face. Someone facing a scathing attack from life had evoked a deep sense of empathy in him. She had no kith or kin holding her hand or giving her moral support. Ye Bin was just like the young Ju Ho from a couple of years ago. It was as if he was re-watching a movie that always left him feeling like a tensed toddler.

The dire need of money to even breathe freely, can drive the most sane man on Earth, insane. In this world, there are just dancing insane clowns like them who remain desperate to etch their names on the soil while being alive. They do not realise how this vicious cycle  makes them claw their own skin and smear their blood on themselves. They are murderers. They murder their own selves. They murder that innocent child  living inside them. How lucky are those who manage to make enough money out of what they dream to be!

Ju Ho still wondered whether he would make a different choice if he could turn back time. Knowing what the outcome would be in the future, would little Ju Ho remain unchanged? It was not that he was extremely unsatisfied with what he was doing but from time to time he was left concerned. Was this the most he could become? Maybe, he just wanted to seek refuge from the terrifying white collar jobs and competitive examinations. He didn't plan much about what he was trying to achieve.

Now that he was out of the teenager phase and free from being influenced by the elders, he had turned out to be more indecisive. The irony is that he ended up being trapped within four walls which he desperately wanted to avoid. A total failure.

The coarse voice of the cab driver telling him that they have reached their house, brought Ju Ho back to the present. He stared at the face of the driver which was battered by numerous rough lines as the badge of old age. He was quick to fish his wallet out of his pocket and pay him.

Ye Bin was still sleeping soundly. Ju Ho had no intention to wake her up abruptly but he couldn't help it. He was about to shake her shoulder blade but opted for using his voice instead.

It seemed that she was not deeply asleep, much to his surprise. She got up after he called her name a few times. Ju Ho explained that they need to get out of the car as he opened the door of the car and walked out first. He offered his hand to Ye Bin which she accepted without any protest. There was no way he was going to let her go back to the first floor without help. She still seemed to be in a daze.