Written by Chaiwon Lee
Illustrated by Nahyun Song
I walked brusquely around the tranquil, dark lake of the park in the midst of the city. It was night
time, and I would have gone home to bury myself in bed if I were still a child. But I did not mean to go anywhere that had a purpose until later. School was for sitting at a desk; after-school academies for more studying, cafes for chatting away with friends, and home for sleeping. I did not intend to head toward any of those
places right away. Not tonight.
I reached the square before I realized I was near it. My steps had been faster than I thought. I perused
the people who dotted the grass, to whom each I silently asked, ‘Why are you here tonight all?”
The man with greying hair was wearing a suit. He was out to get fresh air, because he had parked the
car right next to the square this morning and had been inside there all day, long enough to get his back aching
and his limbs numb. Now he lighted a cigarette. A fat pigeon trotted near his foot, pecking at who-knowswhat.
“Shoo!” he kicked the grass next to it. The bird hopped on its feet and resettled itself a few meters
away. The thing couldn’t even fly well.
‘Those dirty animals get fat easily ‘cause they eat free,’