Avoiding the scorching sun, people began to descend the escalator one by one into the underground.
Amidst the crowd, Name quietly grumbled to herself, wondering if it was too hot for an April day as she walked through the underground passage.
Her long hair, braided into two strands, was now just about reaching the ground.
The sight of a girl with an appearance rivaling that of a child model and a unique hairstyle waiting alone for the subway drew occasional glances from passersby, but Name ignored them and focused solely on her phone screen.
After launching her map app and memorizing the station and exit she needed to get off at, she squeezed into a vacant corner seat on the subway.
The subway started moving quietly without the usual clattering, and in no time at all, it reached the next station.
As if it wasn’t time to get off yet, Name closed her eyes and quietly listened to the white noise, using it as a lullaby to ease the lingering fatigue.
[The train will depart soon.]
Even with the announcement, the subway doors did not close. Since it was a transfer station, many passengers were coming and going.
People took one empty seat after another, and before long, someone sat down next to Name.
“Um…”
Name opened her eyes at the voice of a young man, who looked somewhat troubled. He pointed to the seat beside her.
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh no, thank you.”
Name confidently wrapped her hair, which was dominating the space next to her, and held it close.
The young man, barely managing to suppress a laugh at her doll-like cuteness, hurriedly sat down to avoid losing his seat and set his belongings down on the floor.
Trying to doze off again against the backdrop of white noise, Name was soon interrupted by an unwelcome guest from the adjacent car.
“Damn it, you idiots! Get the hell out of my way!”
An old man, looking scruffy as if he hadn’t taken care of himself in a while, with unkempt facial hair and tattered clothes, shouted as he pushed through the crowd.
The subway passengers averted their eyes and scowled as if to avoid any interaction.
“What a crazy person.”
“Shh, just ignore him.”
The man, staggering as if he had been drinking, glanced around until he locked eyes with Name, stopping in his tracks.
“What are you staring at, you brat? Are you laughing at me? I’ll gouge your eyes out!”
“…”
“Are you one of those spies sent from North Korea? I need to catch and punish all those useless spies!”
“Hey, sir! What are you doing to a kid? Go away before I report you!”
A young man sitting next to Name suddenly stood up to confront the threatening man.
“You little punks…”
“If you keep this up, I won’t stay quiet either.”
The old man raised his arm, perhaps intending to strike, but the young man quickly grabbed his wrist with a firm grip. As the old man’s arm stiffened, he started shaking.
Shatter—
In the midst of it all, the file folders the young man held fell clattering to the ground.
Though it seemed a scuffle was about to break out, the patrons silently applauded as the old man, unable to confront the more substantial man, retreated with a disgruntled expression.
“Really, Line 2 attracts all sorts of villains. Are you okay, kid?”
While Name started gathering the scattered file folders, she collected them together and handed them back to him.
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Oh, you didn’t have to pick them up, but thank you! I really wonder if that kind of person even has a proper tag.”
“Were you going to protest…?”
“Oh, this?”
As the young man looked at one of the exposed file folders, a sheepish smile appeared on his face.
“It’s nothing serious. To put it by comparison, I ordered food because I have a favorite dish, but the restaurant didn’t cook it properly. So, I’m going to tell them we’re all mad about it. Have you ever heard of the game ‘Woloa’? Maybe you don’t know it yet since you’re still young.”
“I know. I know it well.”
“Oh, you knew? Actually, it’s my first time participating in something like this, so I’m a bit nervous. I’m not sure if the script I prepared in a rush is good enough…”
“In the end, showing your sincere feelings is what’s important, right?”
“Huh?”
“You said you liked that game. I believe if you just speak honestly, you can do well. I have to get off here, so I’ll be leaving now. Good luck!”
“Ah, right…! Thanks a lot, my friend!”
The subway stopped, and during the sudden halt, there was a slight jolt, but people adeptly adjusted.
As the doors opened, hundreds of people streamed out, and again, hundreds more entered.
Though it was the same space, it felt like a different world overwhelmed by new people, until a woman in baggy clothing raised her hand and called the seated young man, transforming it back into a familiar area.
“Oh, we found the 7-2 car correctly! Hello, hello! I wonder if you prepared everything well, Chief Choi? You said you were up all night, right?”
“Don’t even get me started. Until just recently, I was contemplating whether I should just end it all.”
“Haha! So how about now?”
“I actually got a boost of energy from being cheered on by a really cute little girl. Did you happen to see her? She looked like she was in the first grade of elementary school!”
“Hmm, I don’t know? I was all focused on my phone.”
“Aah, you really should’ve seen her. It was like seeing a celebrity! Oh, what if she was an actual child actress? She spoke so articulately. I should’ve asked for her autograph.”
“Who cares about autographs since you don’t even watch movies or dramas? Let’s just focus on our cute No Name.”
“That girl was way cuter!”
At that moment, the young man lamented his lack of expressive ability and thumped his chest in frustration.
“Hey, it looks like you’re not watching No Name’s live broadcasts and only catching them on V-tube, so you probably don’t know, but their main avatar is ridiculously cute too. What if No Name turns out to be cuter? Want to bet?”
“But it’s just an avatar. I saw a real person! You can’t compare like that.”
“Someone who lives longer in virtual reality can be pretty picky…”
“What?”
“Anyway, I’ll show you. Don’t just sit there, come and see.”
“But we still have a long way to go…!”
*
“I can’t have come to the wrong place.”
The location of ‘Gamdol Cafe’ that Semaaru had sent me via text was definitely here.
However, all I could see were empty buildings and cement bags.
After walking around the building, I realized that this cafe had recently moved to a different location.
But unfortunately, I couldn’t find any information about where it had relocated, leaving me in a quandary.
Feeling that I couldn’t just stand there waiting for Semaaru to contact me again, I decided to continue on.
“Excuse me, miss and sir.”
I stopped a passing couple and showed them my phone.
“Could you tell me how to get to Gamdol Cafe? It seems to have moved recently, and I couldn’t find it on the map.”
“Oh my…! Wait a moment, where did Gamdol Cafe go… Remember, oppa?”
“No? I heard they were remodeling, but when did they move?”
“The owner told us the last time! Let’s call Seonwoo. Please call him quickly.”
“Kim Seonwoo? Ahh, Park Seonwoo? That’s right, we went with them.”
“Could you wait a moment, friend? I’ll ask my friend right away!”
The woman, clearly excited to be called ‘sister’, clapped her hands and was more than willing to help me.
While the call was connecting, the three of us stood shyly under the sun.
“By the way, what’s your name, friend?”
While the man talked on the phone, the sister in the long black skirt squatted down to ask me.
“My name is Name.”
“Wow, that’s a beautiful name! How old are you, Name?”
“I’m about to turn eight.”
“Ooh, you came here by yourself at eight? Where do you live?”
“It’s not far, just a couple of stations away.”
“Wow, you’re amazing, Name! You can take the subway by yourself.”
“Is he not answering the call? Should I try calling Ubom? Could you wait just a little longer, Name?”
Since it seemed likely that I would get a reply from Semaaru sooner than from the other person, I nodded my head slightly.
The sister looked absolutely delighted, staring at me with a broad smile.
“Your eyelashes are really long. Don’t you think, oppa?”
“Name, this sister thinks you’re really pretty.”
“Haha…”
“Are you tired of hearing you’re pretty all the time?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking? I bet Name is super popular! Do you have a boyfriend?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Why? I bet there are a lot of people who like you, Name.”
“Well… that’s…”
“Aaaah, what should I do? You’re so cute!”
Fortunately, the couple’s bantering didn’t last long.
Once I received the location information she handed over, I bowed my head in thanks.
It wasn’t that far, just located on the next block.
Since the neighborhood was all undergoing construction, every building looked the same, and I felt like I was wandering through a maze as I walked.
[Gamdol Cafe]
Finally locating the cafe, I opened the door, and the cold air from the air conditioner brushed against my forehead, cooling the beads of sweat that had formed.
“Welcome!”
“Yes, hello.”
I greeted the cheerful young woman at the counter and made my way to a seat in the farthest corner.
Despite trying to reduce my load as much as possible due to feeling weak, I still felt tension in my shoulders.
I placed my bag on the adjacent chair and took out files, tape recorders, and various capsule recording memos to prepare them on the table.
Just then, I received contact from Semaaru.
[Oh right, Gamdol Cafe hasn’t updated on the map, so the location is probably different! I’ll take a picture and send it to you right away. I should arrive in about 5 minutes!]
He sent it quickly.
Regardless of that, I pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from my folder and arranged everything in the perfect lighting and angle.
[V-tube Joint Business Contract]
“Would you like to place an order?”
The staff member looking down at me seemed too elevated. The menu board was even higher.
I had to stretch my upper body and raise my head for quite a while to take in the entire menu.
With the smiling staff member waiting for my order, I finally decided on my selection after some deliberation.
“Please make it a caramel frappuccino with extra whole java chips. Give plenty of espresso whip, and add mocha syrup and caramel drizzle. I’ll order more when my party arrives.”
“Okay, yes? Yes, I’ve received your order! Please wait a moment!”
“Take your time. No rush.”
On such a day, I craved something sweet. Not that it was different on any other day, though.
