The Place Where No One Dares To Go (1)

We were now at a nearby diner. Our luxury SUV was awkwardly parked amidst all the taxis up front. Although it was rather eye-catching, we were so hungry that we didn’t care in the slightest. Sang-Beom and Ji-Hye flipped open their menus as soon as they reached their seats.

“Two orders of kimchi stew set meals, please!”

“Wow. Just the smell of it is making me drool.”

Chief Kim and I also ordered from the same menu. Laying out our cutlery on the table, we took a moment to scan our surroundings.

Taxi drivers were gathered together in groups of twos and threes around us, enjoying their meals.

“Yeah. Here’s how the story goes. The guy left his wallet behind as he got out and then…”

“…that restaurant by the roundabout has closed its doors for good.”

“It’s because the couple who were running the place got divorced. They’ll probably end up opening separate restaurants…”

Wherever a taxi roams, it picks up on all of the gossip. On top of that, due to Jeju being an island, the bond between the locals was bound to be strong. They all looked gleeful as they shared the news of what had happened during their morning shifts. This was probably because they were happy to finally meet someone they could talk to after a long night of work.

I glanced at Chief Kim.

“How many should I bring out?”

“For now, just get out five.”

Chief Kim pulled out some boxes of cigarettes with attached business cards from his bag. While the usual way to make friends with someone at a place like this was buying them a beer, it wouldn’t be appropriate here since these guys need to get back behind the wheel.

Picking up a pack of cigarettes, I approached the nearest table.

“A pleasant day to you, good sirs.”

“Huh? What the?”

With a hearty laugh, I placed the cigarettes down in front of them.

“It’s my first time seeing such a young and handsome fellow working as a peddler. I’m not interested in buying your cigarettes. I only smoke a different brand.”

“I’m afraid that I am not a peddler. These are just a gift.”

While raising their suspicions, the taxi drivers still turned to look at me in curiosity. Pulling a chair over to their table, I sat down in front of them.

“I’ve come all the way here to look for someone, and I’m hoping that you might have heard something.”

“Someone? Who? Your girlfriend?”

“Ahem. Nothing like that. He’s just a friend. But the last I heard of him was that he had been working at a guesthouse a few years ago. The one that was near an elementary school at the crossroads in Nohyeong Borough.”

I kept the story short, as anything else would be a waste of time.

After they agreed with a nod between themselves, I waited for them to speak. They started quibbling with each other as they poured through their memories.

“Well now, let’s see. It ‘was’ eh. If that’s near the crossroads, could it be that place, the Together Guesthouse? Didn’t it disappear last year?”

“Oh. That might just be it. The boss there was so generous that she donated all the furnishings before closing for good.”

Perhaps excited by the chance to go over fond memories that they hadn’t thought of in so long, the taxi drivers were chatting away happily.

During a pause in their conversation, I asked, “Do you know the former owner of the guesthouse?”

“Hm. I sorta knew her, but rather than me- oh, there he is. Park-ssi! Come on over here. She was a regular at your wife’s place, right? The owner of Together Guesthouse.”

Now that it was lunchtime, an endless flow of taxi drivers seemed to be pouring in. Chief Kim rummaged through his bag and handed me another pack of cigarettes. The taxi driver named Park-ssi grabbed a seat near us as he answered the question.

“That’s right. My wife runs a hairdresser there, and she was one of the regular customers. But I’ve heard that she packed her bags and moved to Seoul.”

“Would you be able to give me her number?”

“I’ll have to ask my wife, but the missus is currently at her singing classes. I’m not sure she’ll answer if I call her now.”

“Once you do manage to contact her, please send a text to this number. I’m trying to find someone and I’m willing to offer further compensation to anyone who can provide assistance.”

Along with some cigarettes, I placed the business card down in front of him and tapped it. Enthused by the sudden free gift of cigarettes, the taxi driver almost nodded his head off.

In the meantime, four clay bowls full of kimchi stew arrived at our table from the kitchen.