BTS HYYH Notes (Book 1, 2, BUS Game) // COMPLETE [Part 2]

2022, Jun 15 - Namjoon (A Ramen for U-Chang)

[Place: Container town]

When I got to the containers, I saw a small shadow crouched next to one. It was a little past 11 at night.

There were a range of people living in the containers. Some were alone like me, and a single eommeoni was raising her baby. I heard one man had a gambling debt and was hiding from loan sharks. Not conclusive to creating a good environment, the area was littered with booze bottles and cigarette butts, and it sank into darkness as soon as the sun sets. Not the best conditions for children to be growing up in.

(A/N: A little throwback)

On the way back from the trip to the countryside, Taehyung told me about a nightmare with us in it. And how it almost became reality. Seokjin hyung -- cold and impassive, was helping us. But he seemed to have forgotten about us, too.

And Taehyung added in the end, "You don't believe me, do you? I was the same way."

No one knew what Seokjin hyung had been up to ever since we came back from the trip to the beach. I remembered how he showed up at the gas station all of a sudden after two years. If what Taehyung said was true, it wasn't a coincidence that he simply showed up that day. He had come to help me then. And Taehyung's dream ended here. With me getting killed in the container fire.

(A/N: End of throwback. Halmoni = grandmother)

I walked over to the child. "Your halmoni is not back yet?" He shook his head. "Then let's go to my place and have instant noodles."

(A/N: Moments later)

The boy gobbled down the hot noodles. "Your name is U-chang, right? Song U-chang?"

The boy nodded and asked, "What's your name?"

"Kim Namjoon."

"Do you gamble, too?"

"Me? No."

"An alcoholic?"

I couldn't belive what he had just said and with a sigh, I said, "There's a lot of people here who makes an honest living, you know."

***

(A/N: Other translations or maybe a loop)

I looked down at the kid who was eating ramen in a hurry. Eight, maybe ten years old? Even while stuffing the hot noodles in his mouth, he turned his head from time to time to check my mood as if he was walking on eggshells.

When I asked what his name was, he replied, "U-Chang. It's Song U-Chang."

Then the ramen soup got on his shirt and mumbled how he would get scolded by his halmoni while rubbing the stain with his fingers.

(A/N: Sorta throwback)

It was about two months ago when I first saw U-Chang. I was coming back from the gas station and he was standing in front of the container box behind. At that time, I thought he was just got lost while looking for a shortcut getting out of Songju train station. This container village wasn't a suitable place for a little kid to five. But then, after 2 weeks, I saw U-Chang kicking a worn out soccer ball on the open field next to the container.

Even after that, I ran into him a couple of times. He was always staying late alone, same t-shirt, pants, and shoes. Just by looking, it was clear there was no adult looking after him. That didn't mean I could give any help. For me, just taking care of myself was already overwhelming.

I always passed by U-Chang giving no attention. When I was coming back to the container town after working at a gas station, it was a little past 11 in the evening. I was going through my pockets to search for the key when a small squatting shadow caught my eyes. It was U-Chang. All I had to do was ignore it like I always have done. I just need to find my keys, open the container door, cook ramen for myself, and go to sleep.

Today, I couldn't. I didn't want to. I looked up the sky. The whole day. The sky was cloudy. Even the night sky was filled with heavy ashy clouds. There was no sign of any starlight.

Suddenly, I was hungry. If I remember correctly, I only had one ramen left in the container. That was my situation. I looked down at the key I took out of my pocket. I thought about the scenery I looked back while leaving the countryside village. I thought about the phrase I written on the bus window.

I walked towards U-Chang.

(A/N: End of sorta throwback)