[Seohyeon] Are you busy?
While Kim Seohyeon, who had been pondering, sent a message, Lee Yesol was preparing to save the world.
“Wow, I’m freezing to death.”
The winter in Cheorwon was exceptionally colder. From what he’d heard, the geography of this place was shaped like a gourd, a structure where cold wind accumulated, but either way, it was cold enough to really freeze to death.
Still, he managed to finish his work while bundled up tightly.
“Ugh, cold, cold.”
Ding-a-ling. He entered a nearby convenience store, stamping his feet to warm up his body, when he saw a familiar face at the register.
“Huh? Seohyeon-ah!”
“Lee Deobuk.”
Kim Seohyeon, who had been looking at his phone, greeted the customer.
That bastard looks good in everything, even a convenience store vest, for crying out loud.
“Our Seohyeon works here? What’s with this kid getting more handsome during vacation?”
“…….”
“……?”
“Why don’t you check your messages?”
“Ah, messages? I’m checking now. I don’t really look at my phone much…….”
The guy had a serious expression. Tilting his head, he opened ChickTalk.
[Seohyeon] Are you busy?
There was a message from 10 minutes ago.
“Why was our Seohyeon hyung looking for me?”
“Who are you calling hyung?”
The kid grumbled.
No matter how he thought about it, it really didn’t match with those pretty gentle-looking texts.
“I asked why you were looking for me?”
“Just checking in.”
“Aha.”
He placed a ramyeon and a caramel on a 1+1 promotion sale on the counter.
“This one’s for you to eat.”
“…….”
“You like caramel, don’t you?”
He gathered everything except the free caramel he got from the one-plus-one deal, and the kid’s expression had become quite complicated.
“Lee Yesol.”
“What’s the occasion that you’re calling me by my name?”
Actually, he’d planned to eat the ramyeon at the convenience store, but it seemed like he’d just be creating more mess for the kid to clean up, so he changed direction and decided to eat it at home instead. I know from experience—when you’re wiping up ramyeon droplets splattered on the table, you end up cursing even without thinking.
“……You.”
He blinked while gulping down the canned cola. Now that carbonation was entering his body, he felt like he might live.
“Yeah, speak. I’m listening.”
“Are you okay?”
“About what?”
“Never mind. I’ll enjoy this.”
“Yeah, see you again.”
He smiled brightly and turned to leave, when suddenly he remembered the braised chicken the guy had introduced him to before.
“Ah, Seohyeon-ah.”
As soon as he turned around, their eyes met. But this bastard pretended he hadn’t been looking at me and unnecessarily averted his gaze.
“That doenjang braised chicken you said was delicious. Is it really that good?”
“I haven’t tried it, why?”
“Then you recommended it to me without even trying it yourself?”
“You asked me for a recommendation.”
“Ugh, seriously. Still, you should recommend something you’ve eaten and verified!”
“Seona said she tried it. Said it was delicious.”
“Whatever, then what time do you get off work?”
“Why do you want to know my closing time?”
“Let’s eat dinner together.”
Since we’ve run into each other, might as well build some rapport while we’re at it.
“I get off at 7.”
“Then let’s eat then. 30 minutes left. I’ll wait.”
Usually don’t people recommend menus they themselves want to eat?
But he said he hadn’t tried it. It felt like the reason was definitely because of money, and as a hyung, I thought I could buy him a meal.
Besides, in a month, this neighborhood’s economy would be shattered and all the restaurants would close.
Then even if you wanted to eat, you wouldn’t be able to.
“Your grandmother likes chicken too, right?”
“Want to eat at my place?”
“Pardon?”
“Grandmother likes spicy things. Like spicy chicken stew.”
“I see…… there’s spicy braised chicken too. Want to eat that then?”
Nod.
“Good. Then finish your work.”
While sitting at a table waiting, he had nothing to do. After replying to backed-up ChickTalk messages, he logged into the Planet Trainee Gallery for the first time in a while.
[Title: Breaking news) Lee Deobuk left Planet]
Guess he didn’t make the debut team
He knew something like this would pop up around now. He read the comments too.
└Deobuk-chu
└?
└Does that make sense?
└Who are they going to put in if they drop him?
└Is there proof from an insider?
└Crazy he didn’t even come to the senior concert the day before yesterday
└Did they use him up and sell him off?? Does this taste good??
It was buzzing now, but these regular nicknames would all be moving to the Flotin Gallery before long.
It felt strange, like there was an expiration date on my brilliant nineteen-year-old self.
“Hey, Seohyeon-ah. Done?”
At the shadow falling over the table, I quickly shoved my phone into my pocket and stood up.
It was braised chicken time.
He distributed two chicken legs to Kim Seohyeon and Grandmother. Kim Seohyeon looked at me as if somewhat moved.
I smiled like a good hyung.
With this, gained +3 favorability points.
“Delicious, delicious.”
“Mmm, Grandmother. Really delicious, right?”
Munch munch munch.
The spicy doenjang braised chicken was really delicious. Although it was a bit expensive because they used free-range chicken, the texture satisfied all five senses.
Grandmother also smiled contentedly while eating the potatoes and cheese rice cakes very deliciously.
Kim Seohyeon ate quietly like a scholar, but his bone-picking skills were incredible.
“I’m going to burst.”
Sprawled out in a spread-eagle position looking at the ceiling, the light bulb seemed to have dimmed, as if its lifespan was ending.
As I panted while turning over on my stomach, Kim Seohyeon looked at me.
Did I swim around on the floor too much like it was my own home?
Feeling awkward for no reason, I buried my head in the guy’s shoulder.
Moreover, after eating warm food on a cold day, drowsiness poured over me. The day was also too cold……
“Can I…… sleep over before I go?”
* * *
A call came.
Caller ID [Seohyeon]
Looking at the name that now appeared quite naturally, I suddenly became curious.
‘When did I save this guy’s phone number?’
Ah, ah.
While eating braised chicken, I remembered that I’d gotten his number, saying, ‘It doesn’t make sense to not know each other’s phone numbers when we’ve even eaten braised chicken together.’
‘Kim Seohyeon gave it to me then.’
Thanks to that, the contact range expanded from ChickTalk to phone calls. As a plus, this was the third call since we ate braised chicken together.
-Do you have time?
‘No, I have too much work today.’
-What about tomorrow?
‘I have to help Father tomorrow too. I’ll contact you when I have time~’
When the first call came, the weather was too cold and I was too lazy so I brushed it off saying I was busy, but for the second call, he said he’d match my schedule, so we ended up meeting and eating kalguksu.
I guess he’s the type who can’t stand being indebted, I thought. It must be because I paid for the braised chicken last time.
Anyway, while eating kalguksu, I asked him for the first time if he did well on the college entrance exam, and his answer then was quite something.
‘I filled in the answer sheet wrong.’
He barely got through the exam, but because he filled in the answers on the wrong lines, he was now facing retaking the exam.
‘What’s the big deal about life? Seohyeon-ah.’
It became awkwardly serious for a moment, but thanks to that, we became close enough to drink together after that.
And the days flowed and flowed until finally the night before graduation.
In the living room, a trot broadcast was in full swing.
I took out two plane tickets I’d prepared in advance from the drawer and presented them to my parents, saying:
“I won a hot spring trip to Jeju Island event while eating jjamppong.”
I said something ridiculous like that.
“Which jjamppong restaurant has an event like this?”
“That…… anyway, it’s a franchise.”
“Our Deobuk is lucky too. Hooray, hooray!”
My parents believed it without a shred of doubt. At the same time, they fell into contemplation.
“Wow, it’s really nice but…… can’t we postpone this?”
“Absolutely cannot postpone it.”
“Still, you should go to your graduation ceremony. You’re our only son.”
“Ah, graduation ceremony? That was postponed to next week.”
“Really? This is the first I’m hearing of it?”
“Ah, did I not mention it?”
I scratched the back of my neck and feigned innocence.
It was a performance of all my might, mobilizing every skill I learned in acting class.
And so, the next day, my parents boarded the plane to Jeju Island that they had longed for so much.
It’s amazing they haven’t been scammed until now. Even if it’s their son’s words, how could they believe it so readily?
No, maybe they believed it readily because it was their son’s words. Anyway, the operation was a success, and I finally arrived alone at the graduation ceremony filled with flowers and family love.
“Yesol!”
“Oh, Jaeseon-ah.”
After exchanging greetings calmly, I suddenly saw the extended family trailing behind Park Jaeseon and quietly let out a groan.
With that scale…… one wrong move and it’s family annihilation.
……Still, should I have told Jaeseon?
“Did all your family come?”
“Yeah, except my uncle. My uncle works at the Fine Dust Information Agency? But since yesterday, dust-like stuff keeps coming out from the ground in Cheorwon, so it’s an emergency.”
“…….”
That wasn’t fine dust, but what would later be called [Land Warming], or in English [Dust], a precursor phenomenon foretelling the start of the Territory Game.
It was just discovered yesterday, but it had already been rising for a week. It seemed the discovery was delayed because this happened to be a time when a lot of things were being burned.
When land warming starts, the land becomes ‘Territory Game-ified’ anywhere from a minimum of 3 days to a maximum of 10 days, and today was exactly the 7th day.
On the acrylic signboard in front of the school, this phrase was hanging:
[Not an End, but a New Beginning]
But today would certainly be the end for some people.
The graduation ceremony began. The ceremony, congratulatory speeches, and yearbook distribution quickly passed. And before long, the bouquet presentation.
“Congratulations on your graduation, sunbae!”
Female students who had been restless and tottering on their feet from earlier came and presented me with an armful of flowers and snacks.
“Oh, yeah. Thanks.”
“What do I do!”
The female student who had been gaping at my response fanned her face with her hands as she moved away.
I still couldn’t get used to reactions like that. It felt like I, who was a flounder in my life before regression, had become an idol.
It was when I was unnecessarily stretching my hands and feet for the event that would soon begin.
“Hey, Yesol-ah. Really congratulations.”
“Huh……?”
“Hyung congratulates you so much!”
“Wow, you’ve grown up. Our Sol!”
I ended up flustered by the appearance of unexpected people. The agency CEO and Seon Doyu and Kim Jaei with their faces completely covered in masks.
Why are these bastards showing up here? They didn’t come in my previous life…… they say the day you go is market day.
I was somewhat confused. It seemed like me quitting the company first had an effect.
“Where are your father and mother?”
The CEO looked around trying to find my parents. It seemed like he was trying to persuade them somehow to get me to return as a trainee…… but it’s already too late.
After the bouquet presentation, the bustling atmosphere typical of graduation ceremonies was wrapping up, and the graduation song recital was beginning.
My heart began to tremble.
“……Damn.”
When a curse came out naturally, Kim Seohyeon, who was standing next to me, glanced at me.
-Now our beautiful memories~ Ah, beloved juniors~
A song about Confucianism and love for juniors and seniors flowed from the speakers.
Outside the window, the sky darkened as if a lunar eclipse were occurring. The gazes of graduates who had been gaping, not knowing the lyrics, went first to the lighting, then to the window.
“What’s happening?”
People who sensed something was off stuck to the windows like ants. The vice-principal tried to calm people down, but it was useless.
The weather was strange.
The sky…… was completely black.
“What, why suddenly? Is there a lunar eclipse today?”
“I’ll look it up……. No, there’s no data connection here?”
“What? Mine’s not working either.”
“Shit! Is there a war?!”
What covered the sky was thick smoke. The black smoke that started from land warming was creating a barrier with the outside.
And shortly after, something unbelievable happened before everyone’s eyes.
<Looking for Light>
[Try to eat light within the time limit!]
[Time Limit: 5 hours]
[Reward: Survival]
“Wha…… what was that just now?”
“No, I didn’t see that wrong, did I?”
“Is it some kind of event? How did they do that?”
Everyone fumbled around in the air bewilderedly, flailing about.
The vice-principal, though flustered, picked up the microphone, acting like a leader, saying he would continue with the graduation ceremony.
“Next, we will have our graduate Lee Yesol’s recitation of ‘Words of Gratitude.'”
It happened to be my turn. I came up onto the stage composedly.
Sweeping over the unsettled atmosphere, I said:
“Ah, ah.”
“……?”
“Everyone, please pay attention here.”
