Book: One Lucky Day

One Lucky Day” (Korean: 운수 좋은 날) is a 1924 realist short story written by Hyun Jin-geon. The story is set in Seoul during the Japanese occupation of Korea, around the same period as Pachinko.

 

The irony of fortune

One rainy day, “a lucky day” comes to the old rickshaw-porter Kim, who has not earned a single coin for ten days due to bad luck. He finally makes enough money to buy food for his sick wife. Feeling victorious, he stops for a drink to celebrate his fortune. In that moment, he was the happiest man in the world. In that moment, he was the most miserable man in the world.

 

The full story of “One Lucky Day”

It was a cold, rainy day. The sky was gray, and it looked like it might snow, but instead, cold rain kept falling. 

For Kim, a rickshaw driver, this was the luckiest day he had in a long time. Early in the morning, he took a rich woman to the streetcar stop and then waited at the station, hoping for more passengers. Soon, a well-dressed man, who looked like a teacher, hired him to take him to Dongkwang School.

The first ride earned him 30 jeon, and the second one gave him 50 jeon. This was already more money than he had made in ten days! Holding 80 jeon in his hands, he almost felt like crying with joy. With this money, he could buy a drink to warm his throat and, more importantly, some ox bone soup(Korean: 설렁탕) for his sick wife. 

His wife had been coughing for over a month. She was so weak that she could barely move, but they were too poor to buy medicine. Kim believed that giving medicine to a sick person only made them more dependent on it. So, he never took her to a doctor. He didn’t know what disease she had, but it was serious. She had become so weak that she could barely turn to her side in bed.

Ten days ago, when Kim had finally earned some money, he bought some rice and firewood for his wife. She was so hungry that she couldn’t wait for the rice to fully cook. She grabbed the half-cooked rice with her hands and ate it too quickly. That night, she started having stomach pain and a fever.

Kim had been angry at her. “You can’t eat properly, and you get sick when you do! What do you want me to do?” he yelled, slapping her weak, pale face.

Since then, she had been even weaker, but she still asked him for ox bone soup three days ago. “You can’t even eat rice properly, but now you want soup?” Kim had shouted at her. But deep inside, he felt bad that he couldn’t buy it for her.

Now, holding 80 jeon in his hands, he was excited. “I can finally buy her soup!” he thought. 

But his luck wasn’t over yet. Just as he was leaving the school, another customer called him. It was a student who needed a ride to Namdaemun Station. 
“How much?” the student asked.

Kim hesitated. His wife’s words from that morning came back to him. She had begged him not to work that day.
“Please, don’t go today. I have a bad feeling,” she had said, looking at him with her sunken, tired eyes.
“What nonsense! If I don’t work, who will feed us?” he had shouted back and left. 

Now, standing there in the rain, he thought about going home. But then he looked at the student, without thinking, said, “One won and fifty jeon.” It was a high price, but the student was in a hurry and agreed. 

As Kim pulled the rickshaw, he tried to shake off his worries. He was too excited about the extra money. When he finally reached the station, he felt like a rich man. The student paid him, and he bowed deeply several times, thanking him.

But as he turned to go home, he suddenly felt exhausted. His wet clothes made him shiver. The one won and fifty jeon in his pocket felt both wonderful and painful. 

“It’s too cold to go home now. I should wait here for another customer,” he thought. He waited near the streetcar stop, and soon, a well-dressed woman appeared. She was wearing high-heeled shoes and a fancy coat. 

“Miss, do you need a ride?” Kim asked politely. The woman ignored him. He moved closer. “I can take you for a cheap price! Where are you going?” he asked again.

The woman suddenly turned around and snapped at him. “Stop bothering me!” She shouted. Kim laughed loudly. “What a snobby lady! Who does she think she is?” he said to himself. 

Just then, he saw another customer — a man with a large bag who had just gotten off the train. The man had trouble fitting his luggage onto the streetcar, so he hired Kim instead.

By the time Kim finished his late ride, he had made a total of three won — an incredible amount for one day. Feeling proud, he decided to stop by a bar before going home.

There, he met his friend, Chisam. 
“Wow, Kim! You look like a wet rat. Come inside and have a drink!” Chasm laughed.

Kim, excited from his success, quickly sat down and ordered drinks and food. His empty stomach growled as he watched the steaming soup and grilled meat. He ate hungrily, washing it down with warm rice wine. 

“Today is my lucky day!” he shouted, his face red with alcohol. “I earned three won! Three won in one day!”

Chisam looked at him in surprise. “Really? That’s amazing!”

Kim laughed loudly, telling funny stories about his day. Everyone in the bar laughed with him.

But suddenly, his laughter turned into tears. 
“My wife… my wife is dead,” he sobbed.

“What? When?” Chisam asked, shocked.

“Today,” Kim said, tears running down his face.

“Are you serious? Stop lying!”

But then Kim suddenly wiped his tears and laughed again. “Just kidding! She’s fine! She’s alive and waiting for me at home!”

Chisam looked at him strangely. “You’re acting weird. Maybe you should go home.”

“No, no, she’s fine! Let’s drink more!” Kim shouted.

After drinking more, Kim finally stumbled home, carrying the ox bone soup. As soon as he stepped inside, something felt wrong. 

It was too quiet.

There was no coughing. No breathing sounds. The only noise was a faint sucking sound — his three-year-old son, desperately trying to drink from his mother’s breast.

Kim’s heart pounded. He shouted angrily. “You lazy woman! Why aren’t you greeting your husband?”

No response.

He kicked her leg. It felt stiff.

His son started to cry softly. But it wasn’t a normal cry. It was weak, hoarse.

Kim rushed to his wife’s side, shaking her shoulders.
“Say something! Open your eyes!” he begged.

She didn’t move. Her eyes were open, staring at the ceiling.

Kim froze. Tears rolled down his face. He pressed his forehead against hers, whispering, “I… I bought you ox bone soup. Why won’t you eat it?”

Outside, the rain kept falling.