After driving for about ten minutes in silence Jihyun says, “I think there is something wrong with the car. Sorry, hold on.” He pulls over to the shoulder, opens the hood of the car and looks in, but doesn’t seem to find anything. He looks all around the car then kicks a tire, making a thunk thunk sound.

He shakes his head. “I think we have a flat.”

“Don’t you have a spare?” Sol asks.

“There is one, but I’ve never replaced my tire before. There has to be a mechanic’s shop nearby. Perhaps we can replace the tire and ask about the address there.”

“If you don’t mind, I can take care of it. I’ve replaced tires before,” Sol says.

“Really?”

“I’ve done it several times. I have a driver’s license—a Handicapped Driver’s license, but I have it regardless—and I drive trucks and tractors.”

Eunyong and I get out of the car and squat by the tire to watch Sol and Jihyun change it, like its entertainment. They take out the spare tire and the tools from the trunk, neatly laying out the wrench and a few other tools I don’t know the names of. They lean the spare tire against the flat. Sol places the jack under the joint under the car and carefully lifts the car with the jack. Jihyun helps her pull out the flat tire. Sol in a familiar manner puts the spare in place and tightens the nuts.

I reach out and take Sol’s hand covered in grease. “Sol. I don’t want to go to the address.”

“That’s fine,” Sol replies nonchalantly, unsurprised.

“Why not?!” I turn to see Eunyong glaring at me from behind.

“Just because.” Then I call out to Jihyun, “Can you take us back to the university?”

* * *

“Listen, I don’t care if this is my mother or not. Even if, by slim chance, she is my biological mother … I can’t get over that she never reached out to me. Not even once. I thought she was dead or living somewhere abroad, but no, she just never tried to reach me. Why should I reach out to her, when she’s perfectly happy without me? You know?”

“There must be a reason, maybe a difficult reason behind that decision,” Jihyun carefully speaks up.