Seoulmates (Seoul 2)

The bed is ten feet away, but we don’t make it there. He makes love to me, with me, on the sofa. My needy hands pull at his clothes and his deft fingers undress me.

He moves slowly, each movement deliberate, as if he is trying to make a statement, trying to imprint himself on my flesh, on my soul. I take him inside me, welcoming each thrust as an affirmation of his promise that he will be with me, and I return the same vow, worshipping him with my own body, my mouth, my heart.

He lifts me and carries me to the bed. As we lie there, sweat soaked and replete, the rain beats against the window of the bedroom. Mom once told me that the sky cries to clean the earth. I clasp Yujun’s hands to my chest and drift off on a cloud of contentment.

No. I will not thumb my nose at the heavens. I will not reject this gift I’ve been given. I will hold fast to Yujun, to Wansu, to Sangki, to Bomi, to Jules, to Seoul, to Ellen, and to Iowa, because these people and these places are where I belong.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

On the Wednesday after the Chuseok holiday ends, we all return to work, but Bujang-nim is late. Since I could set my watch by him, this is worrisome. Yoo noses around Bujang-nim’s desk and, finding nothing, moves on to the elevator. Chaeyoung nibbles on her Chanel necklace and watches Soyou work—she’s the only one who appears unbothered by the lateness of our boss.

At half past, he finally appears wearing a large smile on his face and calls us all to the conference room.

“Today, we are having another team-building exercise. It’s a company-wide program that was adopted on my suggestion during this morning’s meeting.” His chest is puffed out with so much pride he might float away. “It is a city-wide scavenger hunt. You will be divided into teams.” He starts to hand out cards randomly, or so I think until Chaeyoung, Soyou, and I all receive green cards. “As a team, you must figure out the clues and bring back something from a store nearby the location that identifies it. It can be a coffee sleeve or a receipt from a convenience store. The amount you spend at each location can be no more than five thousand won. All the locations are within walking distance of a subway stop. The team with the most items who returns the earliest will win a hanwoo dinner set and five hundred thousand won.”

I don’t know if it’s the money or the meat that lights a fire under my coworkers, but their mild expressions of horror turn into anticipation.

“The cards have the clues. You have until the end of the day. Hana. Dul. Set. Go!” He barely has the last word out before people are exploding out of their seats.

Soyou and Chaeyoung speed off and grab their purses. I’m a step behind. We jockey for space on the elevator but are shoved aside by the men.

The three of us look at one another and decide immediately to take the stairs. It’s only seven floors. We’re sweaty and panting by the time we reach the bottom.

“That was a dumb idea,” Chaeyoung complains as we tumble out of the stairwell.

Soyou glares. “Keep up.”

I’m not sure whether that’s an admonition for me or Chaeyoung. “What’s the first clue?” Soyou asks, flipping over the card. There are five of them. The first one asks for the breath of fire.

“Breath of what?” Chaeyoung’s forehead wrinkles.

“It’s Yongsan,” I say. “Yong means ‘dragon.’?”

“I know what yong means,” Chaeyoung snaps, irritated that I guessed right. “I’ll go buy coffee. Cross it off the list.”

“I think we should split up,” Soyou suggests.

“Bujang-nim said to stay together,” I remind them, feeling like the student in class that reminds the teacher they didn’t hand out homework.

“If another team sees us separated, they will report the rule violation,” Chaeyoung agrees.

Soyou relents, but she’s not happy about it.

“What’s the next one?” Soyou asks after we buy gum, not coffee, at the mart next to the subway exit. She wants to look ahead, which is a good idea. We can plan our attack and choose the shortest route.

“A crystal-clear stream full of wisdom,” Chaeyoung reads, swinging her pendant along its chain.

I snap my fingers. “Seongsu.”

Chaeyoung rolls her eyes. “It’s obviously the Starfield Library at the COEX Mall. The aquarium is attached to it. Crystal-clear stream full of wisdom.”

“Seongsu is named after Seongdukjeong, where scholars would hang out and drink the water from the nearby stream.” I know this. I had a whole lesson in subway name etymology.

“Starfield is right. Let’s go.” Soyou, in her scuffed black heels, starts down the stairs into the subway station.

“But—” I protest and then give up. These two are not listening to me. We take the train to Starfield and buy three drinks at the café.