Pachinko

Mozasu and Yumi are now dating, and for the past year he has been taking English classes with her at the Korean church. One night, while waiting for Yumi, Mozasu sees Haruki, his school friend. Even though Haruki is Totoyama’s son, Mozasu has not seen him since he left school. Haruki is shy around Mozasu, and it’s hard for him to contain the feelings he’s had for Mozasu ever since they were in school. Mozasu is unaware that Haruki is gay, and he congratulates Haruki on being in the police academy.

The English classes are taught by Reverend John Maryman, a Korean who had been adopted by American missionaries. Yumi is particularly impressed by Pastor John:

To her, John represented a Korean being from a better world where Koreans weren’t whores, drunks, or thieves. Yumi’s mother, a prostitute and alcoholic, had slept with men for money or drinks, and her father, a pimp and a violent drunk, had been imprisoned often for his criminality (295).

Yumi has left her family and learned to be successful as a seamstress. Her great dream is to move to America, where she believes she will be free from the discrimination that Koreans suffer in Japan.

As the students are practicing their English, Pastor John teases Mozasu, saying he’ll never learn English because he’s so infatuated with Yumi. Mozasu responds by declaring his love for Yumi in front of everyone, stating that he is confident that she will marry him.

Noa and Akiko make love after class at Noa’s apartment. Akiko is curious about Noa’s life, but, “not wishing to be a specimen under her glass,” Noa resents this curiosity (300). Noa is about to meet with Hansu for their monthly lunch, and Akiko continues to ask questions about Noa’s “benefactor.” She wants to join them for lunch, but Noa says no.

At lunch, Hansu asks him all about school. Hansu never went to secondary school or university, but he understands the importance of education: “Above all, he believed that a man must learn constantly” (303). He is disgusted that his daughters were not interested in education, and “he grew to despise his wife, who had allowed this to happen” (303). Noa enjoys talking to Hansu, but he has no interest in food and drink the way Hansu does. He prefers to eat fast and move on, “the way most working Koreans did” (303).

At the end of the meal, Akiko shows up, saying that Noa invited her. While Hansu is delighted to meet a beautiful girlfriend of Noa’s, Noa is shocked to see her, though he hides this shock.

After the meal, Hansu departs. Akiko cannot understand why Noa is angry at her for showing up for lunch. She asks him if he is embarrassed that he is Korean, saying, “I love that you are Korean. Koreans are smart and hardworking, and the men are so handsome” (307). Noa realizes that Akiko can only view him as foreign and exotic: “She would always feel like she was someone special because she had condescended to be with someone everyone else hated” (307). To Noa, he will always be other to her. He tells her to move out; Akiko is in disbelief. She then tells him that she knows Hansu is his father, since they look exactly alike. She also tells him she knows Hansu is a gangster because of his exorbitant lifestyle. Noa turns around and walks away from her without replying.

Noa then takes the train to Osaka and confronts his mother about Hansu. Sunja explains that she met Hansu before she had met Isak, and that she had never been unfaithful to Isak. Noa is stunned and continues to question her, asking if Kyunghee and Yoseb knew, and if Mozasu is his brother or half-brother. He now understands why Hansu helped them out so much. He hates the idea that a gangster is his birth father: “Yakuza are the filthiest people in Japan. They are thugs; they are common criminals […] Now I learn that my blood is yakuza blood” (311). Sunja tries to explain the circumstances that led her to Hansu and then to Isak, but Noa is too angry to listen, and accuses her of taking away his life.

Noa has dropped out of university and refuses to tell his family where he lives. He writes them to let them know that he will send them money and will repay Koh Hansu. He says that he will not be returning home because he wants to start a new life. Sunja is heartbroken when she receives his letter. The family decide not to tell Mozasu the truth about Noa; if Mozasu asks, they will say the university was too hard and Noa had to drop out. Mozasu has many responsibilities with work and, on top of it, Yumi has miscarried recently; the family doesn’t want to add to their burdens.

Sunja goes to Hansu’s house because she wants his help in finding Noa. Hansu is not home, and Sunja tries to tell his wife of her need to speak to him. The wife uses the garden boy as a translator. He takes pity on Sunja and tells her that he will find her if he learns where Hansu is. He promises to let Hansu know that Sunja is looking for him.