Chapter Six: The Subway to Spring

Liu Yunfei found himself momentarily transfixed by the stunning beauty before him—she was even more captivating than the movie stars he’d seen. Was it possible that one of the legendary Seven Fairies had fallen for him, the dashing and handsome Dong Yong?

The girl's name was Park Minji, and she hailed from South Korea. Since childhood, her beauty had been exceptional; countless people had stared at her in awe, unable to look away during their first meeting. But Park Minji also embodied the most admirable qualities of traditional Korean women—she was gentle, never like those women who would roll their eyes if you looked at them twice, or slap you if you dared to look a third time. Such neurotic types, so common in wish-fulfillment novels, were exactly the kind of women Liu Yunfei despised.

Park Minji smiled and extended her ivory hand. “Hello, classmate.”

Her smile left Liu Yunfei a bit dazzled, thoughts racing through his mind, but his tongue failed him. “Ah, hello, yes, you too.” He grabbed her delicate hand with all the grace of a pickpocket, his mind suddenly flashing: What am I doing? I should be more dignified, especially in front of such a beauty.

Reluctantly, Liu Yunfei let go—though it pained him to do so. “Even if I don’t want to, I have to!” he muttered, commanding his restless hand.

“What did you say?” she asked.

“I said your hand is a little warm.” Liu Yunfei improvised.

“Oh, sorry, I don’t understand Chinese,” Park Minji replied, her smile growing even more radiant.

“You’re not Chinese?” he switched to English.

“Korean, actually Korean-American. My name is Park Minji. And you are?”

“Oh, I’m Liu Yunfei, a Chinese of Chinese descent. Pleased to meet you.” He wondered if he should shake hands again, as was custom after exchanging names. Realizing he’d missed his chance, he quickly extended his hand.

Park Minji, amused by his “Chinese of Chinese descent” statement, placed her hand in his again. Her hand was soft and almost boneless, as slippery as silk. If only they were in Europe, he could perform a kiss on her hand. He let go quickly. “Did you need something from me? If you need help, even if it’s something dangerous, I’d do it. Of course, I know you wouldn’t want me to risk myself. Just tell me—I love doing righteous things, like benefiting humanity or ensuring the survival of our species.”

Park Minji couldn’t help but laugh. She hadn’t expected such a handsome boy to be so glib. “It’s nothing so complicated. I just need help moving a box,” she said with a soft smile.

Liu Yunfei felt a twinge of disappointment. So she just wanted him as a laborer? Then again, maybe being a laborer could lead to becoming her husband. He struck a pose like Wong Fei-hung, stepped forward, and made a courteous gesture. “After you.”

Park Minji led Liu Yunfei up to the third floor of a building that seemed to be for classrooms on the lower levels. But the third floor looked more like a storage area, each room dark and empty. In the farthest room, there was only a bed and a desk, with boxes piled high and scattered about. It was obvious Park Minji had cleaned up—the floor was still damp, the boxes free of dust, though water stains hadn’t dried completely.

“You live here? The conditions aren’t great,” Liu Yunfei remarked.

“The people who lent me a place to stay are on vacation, so I couldn’t keep living there, and hotels are too expensive. I just found a job and can’t afford rent yet. The professor gave me this place for free as long as I kept it tidy,” Park Minji explained. She went over and tried to drag the bottom box from a pile, but the wooden boxes were heavy and stacked, making it impossible to move. After several attempts, her cheeks flushed with effort, but the box didn’t budge.

Liu Yunfei tried not to laugh. “You can’t move it while there are boxes on top. You have to take them down first.”

“I know, but even on the ground they’re too heavy for me to drag, and moving them off is even harder,” Park Minji said with a pout.

“Don’t worry, I’m strong. I’m the school’s weightlifting champion!” Liu Yunfei struck a bodybuilder’s pose.

“You go to NYU too? Which department?” Park Minji wondered, thinking there was no weightlifting event at school sports meets.

“Oh, I’m still in high school. But don’t worry, I’m old enough—you won’t get in trouble for using child labor.” Liu Yunfei climbed onto the boxes and lifted one. It was indeed heavy, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

Park Minji was surprised. The boy didn’t look very strong, and his first impression was all talk, but he really did have a bull’s strength. He made it look hard, but that was just Liu Yunfei acting—after all, if it was too easy, how could he impress a beauty?

He went back and forth over a dozen times, finally moving all the boxes to the corner. Even though Park Minji had wiped them down, some spots were still dirty, and Liu Yunfei was soon covered in black smudges.

“I’m so sorry,” Park Minji said, blushing. “Let me help you clean up.”

“I have a relative nearby in Chinatown. I’ll just go change clothes—no need for you to trouble yourself,” Liu Yunfei replied, feeling a bit shy despite his usual teasing.

“Chinatown? That’s close. Are you here on vacation?”

“I’m here for the holidays, practicing my English,” Liu Yunfei replied. “But I don’t really know anyone to talk to—most people in Chinatown just speak Chinese.”

“What a coincidence! You can talk to me. I’m an English teacher—I just got a job teaching evening classes at the Korean community’s English tutoring center. I’m here during the day, and after several years in America, my everyday English is as good as a native’s, at least outside of technical terms,” Park Minji said.

“Really? That’s wonderful,” Liu Yunfei thought to himself. No more searching for conversation partners, and she’s a real beauty too. He’d heard that many pretty Korean girls had cosmetic surgery.

“Minji,” Liu Yunfei addressed her warmly, a bit embarrassed, “do all Korean girls have cosmetic surgery? Not that I mean you—I’ve just heard people say that.”

“Cosmetic surgery? I’m not sure—maybe. I’ve never had it myself. But honestly, there’s nothing wrong with it. Everyone has the right to pursue beauty. Should people who aren’t good-looking be forced to endure discrimination? Is acquired beauty any less worthy than natural beauty?” Park Minji went on, her words flowing.

People always said Korean dramas were long-winded—clearly, Korean women were even more so. Park Minji kept talking, and Liu Yunfei could only nod and agree, not catching everything she said. He changed the subject, “So, why didn’t you go back to Korea for the holidays?”

“I have no family left in Korea—what would I go back for?” This time, Park Minji’s tone was brief, tinged with sadness.

“I’m sorry,” Liu Yunfei said, noticing her eyes reddening, unsure how to comfort her. He quickly shifted topics, “The Korean word for ‘older brother’ is ‘oppa,’ right?” His mother loved watching Korean dramas, and often used his computer to stream shows with subtitles, so Liu Yunfei had picked up quite a bit.

“It’s pronounced ‘oppa,’ but in Busan they say it like you did. You speak Korean too? Why not come work with me tonight? You can practice both English and Korean for free,” Park Minji replied with her usual torrent of words.

Liu Yunfei considered it. Her class started at eight in the evening, which would be about nine in the morning Beijing time. He’d have no time for lunch, but it was doable. “Alright, but you have to promise me one thing—call me Yunfei oppa.”

“Oh? You like pretending to be an adult? You don’t even have a beard yet! I wouldn’t dare pretend to be an adult. I’ll call you Yunfei ahjussi instead.” “What does ahjussi mean?” Liu Yunfei asked.

“It means ‘uncle.’ Yunfei the uncle—ahjussi. Now that we’re done, let’s grab some lunch?”

Liu Yunfei was a bit embarrassed. “I didn’t bring any money. Isn’t everything split evenly here in America?”

Park Minji burst out laughing, “Then I’ll treat you, since you helped me so much. But let’s keep it simple—when I get my weekly pay, I’ll treat you to something nicer.”

They walked past all the restaurants on the main street, ignoring them until they reached a small fast food place tucked into a side alley. The food was similar to McDonald’s, but the place was much smaller and less impressive than the McDonald’s back home.

“Can’t even afford McDonald’s abroad,” Liu Yunfei thought as he shook his head, chatting with Park Minji as they ate. By the end of the meal, they were much more comfortable with each other.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Liu Yunfei suddenly asked. Sometimes a sudden question could catch someone off guard, just like police interrogations. Truthfully, he hadn’t meant anything by it—it just slipped out.

“No, I can’t have a boyfriend—well, not yet. I’m still young, I’ll think about that later,” Park Minji replied, then quickly stopped herself, realizing she’d revealed more than she wanted.

She wasn’t sure why she felt something special for this boy she’d just met. He was often talking nonsense—she’d met plenty of smooth-talkers before, and usually disliked or avoided them. But somehow, she didn’t dislike him; she even enjoyed chatting with him, and accidentally revealed her true feelings. Why did this sunny-looking boy have such a glib personality?

Liu Yunfei sensed she had some sadness in her past, and didn’t press further. After their meal, he said goodbye to Park Minji. It was still early, and since he could get back quickly, he decided to go home, change clothes, and brush up on his Korean.

But there were no Korean dictionaries or textbooks at home. So, he sneaked to his computer and found some Korean learning materials online, studying until dawn.

After his parents finished breakfast and left for work, Liu Yunfei checked the time, summoned his magic cloud, and flew to NYU. It was already evening there. He reverted to his human form in a secluded spot below Park Minji’s building. When he went upstairs, Park Minji was almost ready, and the two set off together.

NYU was some distance from the Korean community, so they had to take the subway. New York’s subway was famously crowded. Standing together, Liu Yunfei and Park Minji were surrounded by several large Black men. Park Minji’s beauty drew attention, and some men deliberately pressed closer. Liu Yunfei shook his head—there really were a lot of subway gropers.

As the men crowded in, Park Minji stepped back again and again until her back was pressed tightly against Liu Yunfei’s chest. He could smell her fragrance and see her white neck, her head brushing under his chin.

A wave of desire swept through Liu Yunfei. The subway perverts didn’t get lucky, but he certainly did. If she kept enticing him like this, he’d want to become a subway pervert himself. He slid his arm around her waist—she was so soft—and gently pulled her out of the crowd, finally finding space near the door. Even then, Park Minji still leaned against him, and he was reluctant to let go.

Neither spoke, unwilling to break the silence. Perhaps in their hearts, both wished that this train would never reach its destination.