South Korea. Lovers. Корейские любовники

Cheek is swollen

This story happened when our heroine worked for only seven months in the artist’s house. Even then, she began to realize how much she liked her master. Each time she entered this house with a sinking heart, because she was attracted to this person. However, some circumstances prevented her from showing her sympathy for Kunqiu. Yes, and to be honest, she just didn’t know how to do it. She had almost no love experience. Moreover, from the artist’s attitude to his housekeeper, it was absolutely not clear that he somehow distinguishes her from other women. That evening, our heroine came to work in the artist’s house in a bad mood. She had a bruise all over her cheek. An abnormal mother threw a book at her, and the book hit the girl in the face. The fact is that she worked as a tutor and helped teach English to those schoolchildren who were not given this subject. Twice a week she came to see a boy who was in high school. The boy was diligent, but English was not given to him. Ms. Li used different methods to memorize words, but the boy was still struggling to learn English. Maybe it was in the high bar that his mother set for the student. The mother demanded that the boy had only excellent grades in all subjects at school. The boy tried his best, but the English language was a stumbling block for him. That day nothing foreshadowed trouble, but when the lesson was already coming to an end, the boy’s mother burst into the study room, holding some piece of paper in her hands. The woman, wildly rolling her eyes, suddenly ran up to the boy and began to poke this piece of paper in his face, and then grabbed his hair. The girl tried to protect the boy, but she also flew in. Mad mom grabbed the first textbook she came across and threw this textbook in the girl’s face. As Ms. Li later realized, Mom was holding a printout of the student’s six months’ grades. In English, the boy had a modest three. This pissed off my mother. Both the student and his teacher got it. The girl’s right cheek was swollen from the blow. Having collected the textbooks, the girl left the house without saying a word. Looking ahead, I will say that the crazy mother dashed off an angry letter on the English teacher. She threatened Ms. Li with all sorts of punishments, and promised that this teacher would not get a job anywhere else. However, the employees of the agency were also not bastard. The girl turned out to be crippled and could file a lawsuit against the agency that was her customer. Of course, Ms. Li wouldn’t do it, but the director of the agency was shocked. Upon learning that the schoolboy’s mother had hit the teacher, agency workers sent out the family’s data to all agencies, and the boy and his mother were added to the black list. After that, the woman tried for some time to find an English tutor, but she failed, then she literally crawled into the agency and bowed to the ground. She asked to return the English teacher, but of course the girl did not agree to this anymore.

But that was later, now the girl was trying to find at least a piece of ice in the refrigerator to apply to her swollen cheek.

But he was not there. The mood deteriorated even more. After all, quite recently the girl checked, the ice was in the refrigerator, but today it was not. It is good that Ms. Li discovered this in time, otherwise Kunqiu would have been unhappy, the artist asked the girl to make sure that there was always ice in the refrigerator. The door knocked, it was the owner. The girl turned away from him, her mood became even worse. She hoped the filming would take longer and she would leave before he returned. Well, since the owner of the house, she needs to become as inconspicuous as possible. As luck would have it, today she had to return home to her grandparents. This means that she will have to go on the bus with such a face, and then on the subway. It was not so bad, the disaster struck when the owner saw her swollen cheek. The girl was insanely ashamed. Serving food on the table, she struggled to turn her healthy cheek to the owner, but nothing came of it. The girl expected everything, but not such a reaction. Seeing Ms. Li’s face, men I stopped eating, and then finished my dinner altogether. The girl went to wash the dishes, and then saw that the owner was standing in front of her in outerwear. So, Kunqiu instantly put on his outerwear and handed the jacket to Ms. Li.

– Are we going somewhere? – asked the girl

– Yes.

– And where?

– In hospital.

– Not. Do not. Nothing terrible happened.

– It’s not even discussed. Have you seen your face in the mirror?

– Yes, but if I put ointment on my cheek in the evening, then by morning everything will be in order.

– And if you have damaged facial bones?

By the way, how did this happen?

The girl briefly outlined the situation.

– Maybe you want us to contact a law firm?

– No, I don’t want to make a fuss. The owner of the agency said he would punish the quarrelsome woman in his own way.

– Well, that’s as you wish, but I have to take you to the doctor.

Fortunately, everything turned out to be not so bad, the doctor said that the facial bones were not damaged, only soft tissues suffered, he wrote out a prescription for the necessary ointments, and soon the girl was already sitting in the car.

When it was not so far to the house, the car had a flat tire. The actor parked his car at the curb and called manager Kim. While the manager was driving, the actor invited Ms. Li to get out of the car and take a walk in the park, which was located near the Han River. The girl agreed, but asked.

– Aren’t you afraid that someone will recognize you?

– No, – handing the girl an umbrella, said the artist, – it’s evening, and besides, it’s raining. I don’t think there are a lot of people in the park now.

And so it turned out, the park was empty. During a walk, the girl several times caught herself wanting to take the artist by the arm, and it even seemed to her that the artist had the same desire. She suddenly saw a swing and looked inquiringly at Kunqiu, who smiled and nodded his head. While the girl swayed, Kunqiu stood aside under an umbrella and waited patiently. The lanterns were lit, Mrs. Li went to the parapet of the river, and leaning on it, leaned over the water. The lights of the city were reflected in the water, the water carried its waters, not thinking about those people who are now looking at it. The girl bent too low and almost fell into the water, or rather the artist thought that this almost happened. He took the girl’s hand and pulled her gently.

– Yes? – looking at the hand that lay on her arm, she looked inquiringly at the artist – what?

– Let’s go to the car, probably manager Kim has already arrived.

The girl sighed, she didn’t want to leave here so quickly. While she was looking at the water of the river, it seemed to her that this was not just a forced walk in a rainy park, but a walk in the park with a loved one.

The artist also reluctantly removed his hand.

KUNCIU

«Having played the actor’s love for fishing, the interviewer wittily asked:" What is the only fish Kunqiu could not catch in the ocean of life? "Kunqiu replied, «You used fishing as a metaphor, but from the point of view of real fishing, I want to catch a fish that I have not caught before, very big.»

I am more and more nostalgic for classics, not only for fashion, but also for furniture and cars. Only after a lapse of time do you realize how amazing it is. I prefer simple and classic outfits like the ones I wore today, not over-the-top or trendy. It’s a natural look for someone my age.»

From the author’s interview with the actor

I think it’s time to finally get to know the artist more closely. Like his great ancestor, Confucius, the Kunqiu artist adhered to the principles of goodness and justice. The artist was a kind and fair person. Over time, the more he grew up, the more he thought about the roles that he played and will play again. He lived on earth for a little more time, but the further, the more he thought about why he came here to this land, and what mission he had ahead of. Previously, he tolerated criticism rather painfully, but now he did not care.

«When I reflect on my filmography, I think my starting point is compassion for people, including myself. I used the word „vulnerable“ a lot when I was filming „The Demon.“ I believe that humans are infinitely vulnerable animals. I don’t know if this sounds grandiose, but I think that everything is rather vague. Wouldn’t the world be more beautiful if we became more compassionate for each other?»

From the author’s interview with the actor

In each of his films, whatever his role, he talked about compassion, about compassion for children, women, nature, earth. These are of course general phrases, but that is exactly what Kunqiu was. Every film he started was a separate planet. Each of his roles began with the fact that he asked himself whether he believed in the proposed circumstances, was he ready to put a piece of himself into the image?

«I don’t have much greed. It’s such a cliché, but it’s hard to find another way to express it. I kept saying to myself: „It’s okay if I don’t do it right now. I do not want to rush“. And I think that now, at my age, you can bring these thoughts to life. I’m more relaxed and brave, so I can do what I really want to do without caring what other people think. I used to dislike being criticized, but now I don’t care. I realize that I missed out on so many nice things just because I was worried about what others were thinking. I think you can only feel better if you free yourself from it.»

From the author’s interview with the actor

MRS LEE MEI

I have already told you Ms. Li’s last name, and now I will tell you her name, her name was Mei.

After that snowy night, when the girl stayed overnight at her employer’s house, she now often stayed overnight if she did not want to travel across Seoul home to the house where her grandparents lived. Kunqiu was responsible for the girl in front of her family, and was very worried when Mei finished work late and took a long time to get home at dusk. May tried not to abuse the host’s hospitality, but it turned out that three times a week she still stayed overnight in Mrs. O’s room. In general, a good relationship was established between the housekeeper and the owner.

Meanwhile, the artist’s illness was getting worse. When the full moon rose in the sky, the hope for a sound sleep evaporated. The artist tried to go to bed early in order to get at least a little sleep, but the clock struck midnight, and the sleep went away. It seemed like someone malicious was taking hour after hour from Kunqiu’s life. Previously, he woke up at 3:00 am, but now the sleep time decreased, and he began to wake up at midnight.

GREAT PHILOSOPHER

Lack of sleep at night turned into a problem. Kunqiu looked bad in the morning. He fearfully waited for the approaching full moon this month. For the role in the new film, the artist lost a little weight. In the new film, he played a not very healthy person, and his chronic lack of sleep played into his hands so far. In any case, no one has yet noticed how poorly he orients himself in space in the morning. In addition to the fact that he slept badly, his dreams, his short dreams began to influence reality.

Lately he has dreamed the same thing. He saw an ancient Chinese city in front of him, felt annoyance mixed with pity, and tried to help the inhabitants of the city whom he saw in front of him.

Sleep shots changed. He heard the screams of a woman, the woman screamed in pain, but no one was in a hurry to run to help, he saw jets of water, saw a source that suddenly began to beat from under the ground, his sleep ended with a cry of a baby. He saw women’s hands, which dipped the baby into the waters of the spring in order to wash it. After that, the source ceased to exist, and the water went underground.

In the morning, having drunk coffee, he thought about sleep for a long time. The clouded mind did not want to delve into anything, but the artist nevertheless came to the conclusion that strange dreams tormented him, because he still had not fulfilled his main purpose in life. Kunqiu was already 41 years old, but he still has not been married. Perhaps the thought of a son who would one day be born to him gave impetus to his strange dreams. There was nothing terrible in these dreams, there was no hint of any horror, or something malicious, just the dreams were chaotic and at the same time very clear. Kunqiu still saw the branches of a mulberry tree in front of him, under which a baby from a dream was born. In fact, he saw only the source, only the mulberry tree, the very woman who came there to give birth to the baby, he did not see. He saw only the hands of a woman who were holding the newborn boy, heard the crying of the child, and heard the voice of the mother, who was soothingly saying something.

I will not intrigue the reader, those dreams that the artist saw were dreams about the moment of the birth of the great philosopher Confucius. The artist did not immediately realize this, but after comparing different moments from his dreams and the facts of family chronicles, he came to the conclusion that he saw exactly the moment of the birth of his great progenitor.

So, there are two interpretations of strange dreams, strange painful and chaotic dreams of the artist. The first interpretation, since Kunqiu was still not married, he thought that dreams were a hint that he would soon meet a woman who would become his wife and give birth to a son. The second interpretation is pictures from the past of the great philosopher and thinker Confucius.

There is a version that the events of the life of the progenitor are recorded in the genes of all his descendants, when these events emerge in the memory or in the dreams of modern people, this means that for some reason the ancestral memory came to life in a person. Whether it was true or not, the artist did not know, and would prefer not to know in the future, all he wanted now was to get enough sleep.

WHY IN SOUTH KOREA IS MARRY SO LATE

South Korea is an unusual country, to start with the fact that in this country, however, as in all Asian countries, there is a very tough selection, a very fierce struggle for a place in the sun. If young people in Russia can freely get married when they come of age, that is, at the age of 18, then in South Korea, girls and boys at this moment only awkwardly begin to glance at the opposite sex.

Education begins at colleges and universities. The learning process is so difficult and cruel that it leaves no time, or almost no time for personal life. In some universities, it is directly stated in the charter that students of a given university are not entitled to some personal preferences, that is, to put it simply, young people do not have the right to privacy, let alone sexual contacts.

In Russia, it is quite normal for a girl and a boy to live together before marriage to get to know each other better, and marry only when they find out that they will soon become parents. This trend is not only in Russia, but also in other Western countries.

In South Korea, if young people suddenly announce that they have decided to live together before marriage, not only older family members, but also their peers will look askance at them. About family, marriage, young men and women in South Korea begin to think about only at the age of 35—38, that is, at the moment when their studies are over and there is work, there is a good salary to support the family.

I do not give my assessments and do not say good or bad, I just point to a fact.

Of course, in South Korea, as well as in other countries, everything cannot be so unambiguous, someone breaks the rules, someone adheres to them, and I am only talking about a general trend.

That is, the story that you are reading now is about this, about people who have already crossed the threshold of their thirties and who hope that now, when they followed the path of life that the older generation prescribed them, they will have great love ahead and happiness. However, there is nothing definite in life, sometimes it happens that great love does not come in any way, and the clock is ticking, and the hope of running into the last carriage of the train called love becomes more and more illusory.

MEI WATCHING THE FILM OF KUNCHU

«I am not obsessed with politics or social problems. While filming, I always think: «I hope that someone will feel what I feel» and «Shouldn’t we think about it?» I like projects that provide an opportunity to reach out to people through the roles that I am offered. After reading the script for a film about unfortunate children from a boarding school, I got angry and thought: «Will people watch this? But I have to do it. "I had no idea it would have such a big effect, and the title of the movie would even be used for the title of the law.»

From the author’s interview with the artist

May asked the owner to reconsider her work schedule. The girl had another part-time job, and she also studied at some courses. An American diploma was not enough for her, having decided to live in Korea from now on, she wanted to get a Korean-style diploma.

The actor respected the girl’s request and her schedule was revised. On weekdays, she now worked in the afternoon, but on weekends, her schedule remained the same. Thus, on weekdays, she usually completed her work somewhere around 10:00 pm. If there was no bad weather outside, then the girl went home, but if she finished work late or it was raining or snowing outside, or all together, then she stayed overnight in Mrs. O.’s room.

Kunqiu, immersed in his problems, did not notice for several days that the girl’s eyes were red. Once, when he was having dinner, it seemed to him that the girl was crying, however, when he asked her what had happened, the girl replied that she was allergic, so lately she has been walking with red eyes. The artist did not insist, although he was firmly convinced that he heard the girl crying. Well, if the girl did not want to devote the owner to her problems, then this was probably only a plus.

Although the artist was a very kind and understanding person, human injustice made him indignant, but the matter usually did not end with indignation, several times in his life Kunqiu took measures to eliminate the injustice. One day he read a book where it was told how the workers of the boarding school abuse hearing-impaired children. It was a true story, but the book did not create much resonance. The orphanage workers only shook their fingers and nothing else happened. The actor was so indignant that he insisted that a script be written and a film was made according to this script, in which he played one of the roles. This time there was a big scandal.