Could he be planning to blame me for everything if it’s not the radio?
He’d thought he was just a good-natured, cheerful hyungnim, but society was indeed scary.
Meanwhile, the Director’s words continued.
“Didn’t Seneca die in 65 AD? If we write this as an abbreviation it’s AD 65, and coincidentally there’s a radio with the model name AD-65…”
Son Yowan’s gaze, which had been diligently scanning the radios, reached a certain antique radio.
“This is it.”
Wells Coates, AD-65.
A miniature radio modeled after the antique radio the Director had eagerly explained.
***
The timing for leaving So Yeowon’s room was set for chip collection time.
In Manghyang, chips were distributed once a day at a set time, and that rule was still maintained.
During the World Funeral era, they say most regions implemented rationing systems during the chaotic period right before the Vigilante Corps established a new order. At that time, people who wanted the Vigilante Corps’s protection would go to designated places at designated times to receive items controlled by the Management Bureau’s distribution, and the chip distribution in Manghyang seemed to be conceptualized after this period.
This is exactly from when that nasty-tempered old man and General noona were young.
Well, considering there are several proxies like himself and the Actor (and the scary Magician noona) mixed in, but considering the age range of the VIPs originally invited here, it made perfect sense.
“Tsk.”
But Son Yowan didn’t understand that sentiment at all.
According to what noona told him, during the rationing period, oil and food weren’t enough so later even clothing became a controlled item—shoes with wooden soles instead of rubber because of material shortages, or coats where buttons absolutely had to be in a single row only—just imagining it was horrifying.
This is all romanticized because life is comfortable now.
If you lived in the Peripheral District struggling day by day like himself, would you bother imitating a difficult period? You’d be furious if anything.
Anyway.
Drrrk. Drrrk. Drrrrk.
Son Yowan was in his own room at the lodging. To collect his share of chips for the day.
In the room was a large wooden display cabinet made of multiple small drawers the size of a person’s palm, and each compartment only opened after turning the dial attached to each drawer.
Tak.
「8 791291 33 96959 555 3」
After inputting today’s password that radios placed throughout Manghyang recited every morning by turning the dial in sequence, something felt like it clicked at his fingertips and the drawer opened.
Inside the drawer was, as always, a flat chip. This chip was special currency used when wanting to use the various entertainment facilities filling Manghyang like casinos, bars, shopping centers (even!), movie theaters, music halls, art galleries, fishing spots, but…
I wonder if there’s anyone in the mood for that these days.
If there’s a fellow with the guts to watch movies and appreciate hologram orchestras with chips at a time like this, you’d have to respect him.
Having collected today’s chip from the storage drawer, Son Yowan immediately came out to the corridor. He had to quickly go somewhere other people might be. Not knowing when or where he might run into Goeidam, wandering around alone where no one else was would be stupid su… no, suicidal behavior. If it weren’t for this special situation, Son Yowan would never have done such a thing.
But I don’t understand what happened with Assistant noona.
Tak. Tak. Tak.
Son Yowan walked quickly while repeatedly flicking the flat chip upward with his thumb and catching it.
That incident—the strange broadcast, Assistant noona’s condition, the place she was found—was full of things I don’t understand, but somehow they seem to have almost no interest in that case.
At least having the sound of chip flicking in the silent corridor made it somewhat better.
I thought they were somewhat close with each other, but maybe not? Even if that’s the case, those people’s reactions don’t seem normal. Beyond being cold-hearted, how should I put it… Dead or alive? No, they don’t care but good riddance? No, this isn’t quite right either. Then, if someone had to be victimized anyway, it’s rather fortunate it was that person?
At least the Goeidam materialized here wasn’t ‘that’ kind of godam, so he could at least walk while flicking chips like this. What’s ‘that’ kind? Why, isn’t there that kind of godam?
I want to hear some of the confusion from Assistant noona at the time, but that noona was immediately moved to her room and seems unable to come out at all…
Late at night inside a school. A ghost wandering around the corridor making a dragging sound—screech, screech, screech. And a person crouched and hiding in the darkness. To avoid the ghost moving at the sound of human presence, the person even covers their mouth, and only after the screeching sound disappears far away do they exhale the breath they’d been holding, but at that moment.
Tadadadadadadak!
“Yoan!”
“Ah, fuck!”
Son Yowan was startled and threw the chip he’d been flicking with his thumb straight in the direction the sound came from. The chip that flew with a swoosh stuck to something with a smack.
“…”
“…”
To the Actor’s forehead.
Thud.
Not anymore. Because the chip that had been stuck to his forehead for a moment fell off.
“Um, Yoan, here.”
“Oh, thanks.”
While extending his hand to the Actor handing him the chip, Son Yowan thought again that he couldn’t drive in the nail of ‘My name isn’t Yoan, it’s Yowan.’
“Uya, did you come to get me?”
“Yeah. Everyone’s waiting.”
Son Yowan nodded. He realized why the Actor suddenly popped out in the corridor.
“Let’s go.”
The soldier sent by the VIPs to see off their spy dispatched to enemy territory smiled good-naturedly and recommended Son Yowan go to the contact point.
“By the way, Uya, are you alone?”
“Ah! Moving around too much might look strange, so I said I’d go alone. But Yoan. Seeing you holding chips, don’t tell me you went all the way into the room?”
“Since I was out anyway.”
If he went near the room anyway, he had to collect and come out—if left outside, this is all money. Anyway, young masters raised without want don’t know how precious every penny is.
“I thought the chips were just an excuse to come out here alone…”
“That’s right too.”
Son Yowan shoved the chip into his coat’s outer pocket and patted the inner pocket. Today he wore a well-tailored single-breasted coat with a thin knit underneath so as not to give too stodgy an impression.
“!”
The Actor’s already prominent eyes grew even larger and fixed on the spot Son Yowan had just patted.
“Don’t tell me you found ‘it’?”
Son Yowan picked up the glasses tucked in his pocket, spun them a couple times with two fingers, then answered while putting them on.
“I came out because I found it. If I was just going to pass on words, I wouldn’t bother making the trip. I’m actually quite a busy person, you see, Uya?”
They were 100% fashion glasses with no lenses. Remembering how much he’d struggled to find frames optimal for his face shape made him feel anew…
“My goodness, I didn’t think you’d actually succeed!”
This guy?
“No, no, no, it’s not that I doubted you, Yoan. Of course I believe you!”
That statement didn’t sound believable to Son Yowan. How long have you and I known each other that you naturally believe me?
“But, um. I’ve been going back and forth in front of your room—no, Captain-nim’s room—repeatedly the past few days, but there was no sign of you coming out. So I thought, ah, it must be hard…”
“You kept going back and forth alone?”
“Of course I didn’t forget we agreed to contact at chip distribution release time… It’s just.”
The Actor, who had been scratching his cheek awkwardly while talking, quickly rolled his eyes to avoid eye contact when Son Yowan stared at him.
Look at this.
Seeing that, Son Yowan’s brow narrowed briefly before instantly returning to normal.
“Hmm, hmhm. Anyway, that’s why I was worried.”
“Is that so? Thanks. But shouldn’t we hurry now?”
“Ah! Right, right. I’ll lead the way, everyone’s waiting. …But Yoan. You had it rough, didn’t you?”
“Rough? Ah, rough. Yeah, somewhat.”
Enough that his waist still ached and his hole throbbed.
“That person looked formidable at first glance.”
“Captain So?”
“Yeah.”
“Mm, isn’t the opposite true from appearances? He always has a face that looks like he’ll die from exhaustion.”
“But he’s Goyo’s captain, isn’t he?”
Son Yowan secretly rolled his eyes. By now even Son Yowan knew what kind of treatment the Detective received within Goyo, so there’s no way the Actor didn’t know. Yet his reaction was so different from the Teacher’s or Musician’s.
Is it just because that guy is timid?
Or…
“Plus they say he’s a wanted criminal…”
“Ah.”
“Why, Yoan?”
“Nothing.”
No matter what, Son Yowan wasn’t enough of an idiot to meekly say here, “I completely and utterly forgot about that.”
