Empire of the Ring

“Youngho, why are you so busy these days? You never visit us anymore.”

“Hey Jongil, I’ve been busy taking care of mafias. I also visited Korea with my employees.”

“I know that you went to Korea, but you had fun with mafias too? Man, you should’ve called me. I’ve got to improve my relationship with Karajan too.”

“Why mention Karajan here?”

“If it’s your work, Karajan’s related too. If anybody harms Karajan, I’m going to let them pay for that.”

“Yeah, whatever. Anyway, the clothing retailers that I had business with ordered a local mafia group to get rid of me. Now it’s all been taken care of by the police.”

“What? They requested your assassination? Those crazy b*st*rds, I’ve got to bring a tank and finish them.”

As a drill instructor, the scale of his revenge plan was big, even to the point of saying that he would bring a tank. After calming down Jongil, Youngho asked for the reason of his call. He said he would come and stay with Youngho for the New Year’s break.

Park Jongil, whose parents passed away just like Youngho’s, only had brothers left. He did not want to visit his family who always gave him an earful to get married quickly. He also intended to meet Karajan again since he liked her. He could use four breaks a year as a drill instructor of the militia, but he planned on using them all at once, making his break a month long. A loud friend of Youngho would be visiting him for the whole break.

“Whoa, since when did you learn to be polite? You never tell me ahead of time when you’re coming.”

“I heard the Istanbul siblings are staying with you. I called for them. I don’t want to surprise them ‘cuz they’re not you.”

“How thoughtful of you. I’m proud of you.”

“Shut up, man.”

“When are you coming?

“This Saturday is the first day of our break. I’ll arrive at Baku on Sunday evening.”

Fatima was excited to hear that Jongil would stay with them for a while. She remembered him as the person who bought kebab for her family at the flea market in Istanbul. Her first impression of him was a kind man despite the truth that he was a notorious womanizer. In her mind, he had turned into a Daddy Long Legs.

Asking what kind of food Jongil liked, Fatima worried about what kind of food she should prepare for him. Fatima was also determined to play cupid for Jongil and Karajan when Youngho told her that Jongil liked Karajan. A little jealous of Jongil, that he always attracted girls everywhere he went, Youngho was worried that the troublemaker was coming to stay with him and the siblings.

***

Youngho drove to the Baku train station on a Sunday evening to pick up Park Jongil who was coming from Tbilisi, Georgia. ‘After travelling for fourteen hours on the train, he’ll be exceedingly grumpy,’ thought Youngho. Youngho’s guess was proven correct; Jongil stepped out of the station drunk, murmuring complaints, “The bathroom was just too dirty that I couldn’t even wash myself.”

“Don’t be such a clean freak. You’ve got to have a clean mind instead, man.”

“Clean mind what? What are you, a lecturer?”

“Don’t cause any trouble until we get home, okay? Or I won’t take you.”

“People would think I’m a troublemaker. Anyway, I’m starving. My stomach is aching since I drank with an empty stomach.”

He must have had drunk out of boredom because he did not see any girls he liked on the train.

“I got Korean chopped noodles and kimchi at home, although the noodles are frozen.”

“Chopped noodles? They are the best! Tell Fatima to make them now.”

“We need at least thirty minutes.”

“Thirty minutes? Did you move?”

“No, we’re going to the farm.”

“What farm?”

“It’s my base in Baku. The CIA has invested in it too.”

“So, it’s like a safety house?”

“Something similar. It’s a good cover for us to maintain relationships with the officials here.”

“I see. Man, you have a complicated job.”

Jongil, quick-witted as he was, understood the situation already and did not ask any more questions about the business and the CIA. He suddenly changed the subject.

“What about the siblings? Are they well? I knew you were a snoopy dude, but you really brought them here. You must need a lot of money to take care of them. If you need more, let your big bro know.”

“Thanks, man, but I’m making enough in Baku. I even brought the employees to Seoul for training, you get it now?”

“You’re using all of your money. Do you even have any left for your future plans?”

Even though Jongil was a womanizer and sometimes a troublemaker, he was a caring friend. Youngho smiled at his words since Jongil was worried about Youngho’s future, but still, Youngho knew that he could never trust Jongil with women.

As they stepped inside the management building, Fatima greeted them in Korean.

“Hello, oppa? Do you recognize me? I’m Fatima.”

Upon seeing Fatima, who greeted him in Korean, Jongil could not close his mouth.

As he slurped on hot noodle soup, he sweated and looked like he was stunned. After muttering to himself, he finally asked, “Is this the girl we met in Istanbul? I mean, did we really see each other in Istanbul?”

Thinking of the tan-skinned, thin-as-a-stick girl whom he met in the flea market, he shook his head. The Fatima before him did not match the thin girl at the market. She was taller, more mature, and beautiful like a rose.

Fatima replied, smiling, “Yes. I am. You bought me lots of kebab that day.”

Jongil had a child-like look on his face. He found it interesting that Fatima changed in an extremely dramatic way.

Youngho hit Jongil’s back and added, “Do you think I’d bring a wrong girl?”

“Youngho, now I know what you’ve been up to. I have respect for you. Raise her well, and let me know when you’re getting married.”

It was Jongil’s tendency to speak nonsense, so Youngho just ignored his comment.

“Stop saying b*llsh*t. Just go take a shower now, you crazy.”

“Youngho, you’re a great guy. I’ll serve you as my master from now on.”

Youngho could not help laughing at Jongil’s stupidity. The infamous womanizer Jongil looked at all women in a romantic way, and he was looking at Fatima and Youngho’s relationship in that way too. Youngho’s head almost ached as he thought about how he would have to stand Jongil’s nonsense for the next month.

He was a guy who would even fly to Istanbul and sit at the flea market for days to find the second Fatima, or maybe he would go to a flea market in Baku, which was closer. In order to get rid of his nosiness, Youngho would have to find a girl for him, like Karajan. Youngho already felt dizzy as he thought about the next month with Jongil. Now that Jongil did not have anywhere to stay at the moment, Youngho picked up the phone. He was calling to see if Karajan was available the next evening.