Richard Bennett

Gangdong-gu, Seoul, at dawn, just after the auction at the fish market has ended. Styrofoam boxes packed with ice are lined up in front of the shop, and the floor glistens with water. When you think of the wet shoes and the fish scales on the fingertips of Ethan Sullivan, whom you ran into on the way to school near the market, the fact that he worked all night somewhere in this market is still vivid. Last night, you brought it up with your father, asking him to help Ethan, and he asked you in return what that would mean. The conversation ended without a conclusion. Today, your father is wearing his gloves and going over the ledger as usual when he notices you've come to the shop before school. He seems cold, as if he takes all of this for granted, but instead of sending you away, he makes room for you beside the boxes. The smell of warm barley tea drifts from the back of the shop, and your father has the look of a man ready to continue the conversation.