(Note:
This is a short story I translated for
Pathlight issue No. 1, 2012. I had not heard about author Jin Renshun before I got the assignment. Her writing is both beautiful and subtle, and I truly enjoyed translating the piece. I tried to be faithful to her original style and hope I’ve succeeded somewhat. – Xujun)
Jin Renshun: Born in 1970 of Korean extraction, and now living in Changchun, Jin Renshun has published the novel Spring Fragrance, the short story collections Cold Front of Love, Moonlight Oh Moonlight, One Another, and The Glass Café, and the essay collections Like a Dream in Broad Daylight and Poisonous Beauties. Her work has been translated into Japanese, English. German and Korean. In 2010 she attended the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program.
Skylark
Each day at dusk, from six to eight, the third table by the window was reserved for Kang Joon-Hyuk. Occasionally he brought friends – perhaps employees – with him, but mostly he came alone, magazine in hand, to read a few pages before the dishes were served. He and Chun Feng spoke every day, but nothing beyond her asking what he’d like and his ordering of dishes, followed by a few pleasantries of the “Thanks,” “You are welcome” sort.
One day Chun Feng forgot to put the “Reserved” sign on the table. By the time she realized her mistake, the table was occupied by two middle-aged women who chatted nonstop from the second they walked in. They ignored Chun Feng’s apologies and requests.
“This is where we’re sitting,” they said. “We’re not going anywhere.”
While another waitress handled their order, Chun Feng went outside to wait for Kang Joon-Hyuk.
“I’m really sorry,” she bowed to him, tears spilling forth. “It’s all my fault.”
“Did I cause you any trouble?” he said. “You stood in the wind for so long, for such a little thing! It’s me who should apologize.”
Entering the restaurant, he said to the proprietress, “The service here is really impressive.”
“The customer is god,” she said, smiling. She personally brought Kang Joon-Hyuk to a relatively quiet spot. Eyeing Chun Feng approaching with the menu, she told Kang Joon-Hyuk, “Chun Feng is a university student. She only works after classes.”
When Chun Feng brought Kang Joon-Hyuk his order, he asked about her school and her field of study, and whether she liked them. As they talked, he had to crane his head halfway, and she had to stoop a bit to answer him. Feeling a bit silly, he threw her a smile, and lowered his eyes to his food.
A few days later, the arctic currents brought heavy snows. Chun Feng was waiting for the last bus when a silver Audi stopped in front of her. Kang Joon-Hyuk opened the door, calling to her, “Let me take you home.”
“No need,” Chun Feng waved the offer away. “But thank you.”
“With this much snow, the bus won’t be on time,” Kang Joon-Hyuk said. “Come on in.”
The car’s interior was like a warm and cozy room. Only then did Chun Feng notice that her hands and feet were frozen. The cold crackled through her joints like electricity, leaving them numb and tingling. Shivering a little, she said to Kang Joon-Hyuk, “Sorry to trouble you.”
(Read the complete story here)
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