Lillian noticed Sambo standing in front of the counter, tears streaming down his face, unable to take his eyes off a photo of B.B. King's radiant smile. Seeing him like this, her hands trembled slightly.
"Boss! No matter how much people call you a money ghost, those of us who work with you know you're warmer than anyone. Hang in there, boss."
Sambo was a strong man. Perhaps it was because he had lived tenaciously through the years without B.B. King, enduring everything that came his way. As if he hadn't shed tears, he quickly wiped his face with his sleeve and greeted the customers with a bright smile. Watching Sambo, Geon sang and smiled at his cheerful demeanor.
"A strong person. And a kind person."
That day, MBK finished their performance with two original songs and two covers of B.B. King songs. Thunderous applause and an encore performance later, MBK finally left the stage well past ten o'clock. The club, bustling with guests until two in the morning, remained lively even after MBK had left. Sambo later opened the door to the dressing room where the band members were resting.
Blake and Carson, seemingly exhausted, were the first he saw, sitting on the couch with their eyes closed. Geon, leaning against the wall and talking to Samuel, noticed Sambo. Hesitating for a moment, Sambo approached Geon and extended his hand.
"Kay. You did a great job today."
Geon looked intently at Sambo before smiling and shaking his hand.
"I heard about it. I would have performed with more joy had I known earlier. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding."
Sambo, slightly surprised, looked at Samuel, who subtly nodded. Sambo's gaze became complex as he looked at Geon, who firmly held his hand. Geon met Sambo's eyes and smiled, making Sambo realize no further explanation was needed.
"Thank you for understanding. And thank you for performing. It's been a while since the club was this lively. Ha-ha."
Geon smiled at Sambo's still somewhat awkward manner.
"It'll keep being lively from now on, you'll see."
Sambo, puzzled, asked,
"Really? The performance is over, unless musicians like Kay come again..."
As Geon grinned at Sambo, Sambo's eyes widened in surprise.
"Are you saying... you'll continue to perform?"
"Yes, Mr. Sambo. I plan to keep going for a while."
Sambo, grasping Geon's hand tightly, asked urgently,
"Really? You'll continue to perform for us?"
As Geon nodded with a smile, Sambo burst out in gratitude.
"Thank you! Thank you! The guarantee will be the same as for other bands, no, I'll give 5% more!"
Geon shook his head slightly at Sambo's offer.
"Please give the guarantee to Blake, Carson, and Samuel, who need to earn their tuition. You can add my share to the funds when you donate to support needy children."
Sambo gaped at Geon's suggestion.
"That... such..."
Samuel, smiling, touched Sambo's shoulder.
"We'll also contribute 50% of ours, Sambo. Sorry we can't give it all because of our tuition."
Sambo, looking dazed at Samuel, then saw Blake and Carson also nodding with smiles. Sambo, turning back to Geon, was at a loss for words.
"This is..."
Geon patted Sambo's shoulder and said,
"When things are hard to do alone, we do them together. I'm not sure how long we can do this. As you know, I'm Korean, and Koreans must go to the military. Until then, I'll do as much as I can."
Tears welled up in Sambo's eyes. Geon teased him, pointing at his face.
"Ha-ha, Mr. Sambo! You look funny crying with that scary face, ha-ha."
Joined by Samuel, Blake, and Carson, they all teased Sambo, who shook his head to regain his composure and looked at the four in front of him. The three kids he had sponsored from childhood had grown up and were now supporting him. A young man, who had been a stranger and had planned to use him for money, was smiling in front of him, understanding his intentions. Watching them, Sambo hurriedly said, feeling he might cry again,
"Thank you, guys. Thank you, Kay."
Geon formally signed the contract on behalf of MBK, allocating his entire share to be entrusted to Sambo for donation. Afterward, Geon continued to perform every weekend for a year while attending school, and the blues club, powered by Kay's fame, saw an unceasing flow of tourists, not just on weekends but on weekdays as well. Especially on weekends, priority was given to hardcore fans of B.B. King and
locals, reaffirming Sambo's business approach that the club was a place for music, earning him widespread praise.
On the day Geon left the club, Sambo, Lillian, and all the staff threw a party for him. After getting drunk and passing out first, Sambo left the band members, busy with their third year and daily lives, to depart, and Geon also returned to his lodging at the zoo.
Late at night, as Geon walked up the hill to his lodging, passing the entrance to the zoo, he saw the familiar animals. Looking at each with affectionate eyes, Geon noticed Shiwa, recently moved to the gorilla enclosure, gripping the bars with wide-awake eyes. As Geon approached, Shiwa reached out, grabbing Geon's clothes and puckering its lips in a plea for attention. Now almost the size of an adult gorilla at one year old, Shiwa hadn't forgotten Geon, who had played with it every day for the past year, always showing affection whenever they saw each other.
As Geon extended his finger through the bars, Shiwa, retaining its baby habit, sucked on it. Though Shiwa had grown, its gaze at Geon remained as innocent as when it was a baby, causing Geon's expression to turn slightly sad.
"I'm sorry, see you in two years. I'll definitely come back."
As Geon tried to leave, Shiwa, sensing something, whined and shook the bars. Unable to look back, Geon walked away from the enclosure as Shiwa cried out louder, unable to hide its anxiety. Geon walked towards the tiger enclosure with heavy steps. Several large tigers lay sleeping on the ground.
Geon's eyes caught Pai, now the leader of the pack, lying on the highest rock. Pai, not noticing Geon, yawned deeply and closed its eyes, resting its head between its legs. Geon silently greeted Pai with a nod.
"Pai, the day you became the leader of the pack, I won't forget the moment I applied medicine to the wounds you got from fighting."
Watching Pai sleep soundly, Geon stood still for a while before heading to Ricky's enclosure, slightly smaller and set apart. Ricky, not yet asleep, was pacing around the enclosure but approached the bars upon seeing Geon. The distance between the bars was too far for any physical contact, but Pai pushed its nose through the bars and sniffed, seemingly happy to see Geon.
Even though Geon reached out his hand, unable to touch Ricky, he looked at it sadly and whispered softly,
"I'll definitely come back, Pai."
After sharing a moment with Pai, Geon took out his phone as it vibrated in his pocket.
"Hello?"
"Kay, it's Sharon."
"Hello, Professor. You're still awake."
"I can't sleep. You're leaving tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, Professor."
"Is military service in Korea very tough? With the standoff with North Korea, it must be dangerous."
"Ha-ha, it's not like that. It's a place all Koreans go to, and it's just another place where people live. North Korea only makes provocations, actual engagements are rare, so don't worry."
"Phew, I'm still worried. There's a stereotype that Korea is a dangerous place."
"Don't worry, Professor."
"When do you plan to return?"
"In two years. I'll probably be discharged during the semester, so I think I can re-enroll in about two and a half years."
"Alright, make sure to contact me before you re-enroll."
"Yes, Professor. I'll keep in touch whenever I can. You can use the phone there."
"Alright, let me know when you arrive in Korea."
After ending the worried conversation with Sharon, Geon looked at the high birdcage of the zoo and the empty outdoor stage nearby, lost in memories.
"I was so happy to come to Juilliard. I met so many people and experienced so much. We'll be apart for a while, but I hope everyone stays healthy."
Standing alone on the empty stage, Geon sat on the edge, staring at the vacant seats for a while before returning to his lodging at dawn. And in the summer of 2019, Geon entered Korea quietly and enlisted in the military without anyone knowing. Only his family accompanied him to the training center, where he comforted Shiwa, crying and worried, and silently faced his parents, who couldn't find the words to say, before enlisting.
**
On a fall day, two years later, in front of the 7th Division Chilseong unit in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, South Korea, a young man with unusually fair skin, neatly dressed in military uniform with four stripes on his arm, carrying a double bag, walked out of the base's main gate. His face was hard to see with his cap pulled down, but the smile on his lips
and his sharp jawline were enough to identify him as a handsome young man.
Walking towards the Hwacheon bus terminal, he browsed through the Hwacheon traditional market, snacking here and there before entering the terminal with a fish-shaped bun in his mouth. After checking the bus schedule and buying a ticket, the young man boarded the intercity bus that was about to leave. The kindly-looking bus driver, noticing the corporal stripes on the double bag carried by the soldier, smiled warmly and said,
"Ah, looks like you're being discharged? Lucky you~"
The young man pressed his cap down further and laughed,
"Yes, I'm being discharged. Ha-ha."
"That's one of the best moments in life. Go home, have fun, but make sure to snap back to reality soon and study hard. Hurry on, we're about to leave."
"Thank you, sir."
After finding a seat by the window in the almost empty bus, the young man took in the view of Hwacheon city from the window. As the bus started, he cautiously took off his cap. His slightly sunburned but still too fair and beautiful face for a man was revealed. With thick eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and lips like they were stained with blood, the young man smiled brightly as he looked out the window.
"Let's start again!"
In the fall of 2021, the soul-stirring musician, Geon Kim, completed his duty to the nation.
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