The Unspoken

K walked down the street, earbuds in his ears. The music playing was Brian Keane’s “City of Dreams.” As he passed by the Nagwon Musical Instrument Arcade. a shabby, scruffy man in his sixties was hunched over, crouching low to the ground. The smell emanating from the beggar stung K’s nose.

When K turned his head, their eyes met. In the man’s unfocused gaze, K could see a desolate wind blowing through. He understood it. Yes he did. Out of the blue, a question arose in K’s mind—a question he couldn’t easily answer with a simple "yes."

The blue glow of the streetlamp fell simultaneously upon the beggar’s head and K’s face. A gentle breeze passed between them. The beggar’s lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

K handed the man what he seemed to need. Then, with a slight nod, K continued walking toward Kyobo Bookstore. He replayed the music as he went.