* * *

“Uh, I’ve finished organizing everything…”

Walking out of the room, I saw the team leader lounging with his legs propped up on the table, playing an illegal game on his phone.

Startled by my sudden appearance, he quickly turned off the screen and glanced at the wall clock.

“You finished already?”

“Well, you said to finish by 12…”

“Oh, right. Yeah, I did.”

It was obvious he didn’t even remember what he’d said.

Standing up, he checked the now-neat room and widened his eyes in surprise.

“You really finished it all? By yourself?”

Realizing he’d hired a surprisingly capable part-timer, the team leader grinned, patting me on the shoulder as the clock neared 12.

“Great. Since you worked hard, I’ll let you leave early today.”

The job posting had promised same-day payment.

Watching the team leader not mention it, I cautiously asked, worried they might skip out on it.

“Um, about today’s pay…”

“Pay? Aren’t you coming back tomorrow?”

“Yes, but the ad said payment would be given daily…”

“Oh, that’s just for one-off gigs. You’re working weekends, right? So, I didn’t withdraw any cash for today.”

Switching between praise and irritation, he eventually released me after 12 had already passed.

“That’s just how things work in the real world. It’s not always smooth sailing, you know?”

“…Okay.”

“Good. Just keep working hard till the end of the month. I’ll make sure to add a little bonus for you then.”

“…Yes, understood.”

The man’s explanation, which took over five minutes and was filled with all sorts of unnecessary embellishments, ultimately boiled down to this: due to the company’s accounting system, daily wages couldn’t be paid out immediately.

In other words, it meant that he was stuck with this miserable part-time job for at least a month.

While he had resolved to see it through with a sense of responsibility since he’d already started, he couldn’t stop himself from heaving deep sighs.

“You worked hard today. Don’t be late tomorrow.”
“Yes… Take care.”

Unable to collect his daily wage, Jungin left the building and exhaled a tired breath.

It had only been four hours, but he felt like he had aged decades.

Catching his reflection in the building’s glass, he adjusted his disheveled clothes and hair before pulling out his phone.

As expected, there was a message from Beomhyeon saying he was waiting.

Jungin had originally planned to sneak off to the hospital today, but he was in no condition to go anywhere.

Wanting nothing more than to collapse into bed, he revised his plans and texted back.

[I’m done now! I’ll be there soon! ‎(っ ᵔ◡ᵔ)っ]

Just thinking about Beomhyeon brought a smile to his face.

Grinning softly, Jungin began walking toward the spot where Beomhyeon had dropped him off that morning.

“Wait, where… am I?”

It had seemed so straightforward when he followed his team leader inside earlier, but all the buildings looked alike, leaving him utterly lost.

“Beomhyeon’s waiting….”

Biting his lip in frustration, Jungin quickened his pace, scanning his surroundings.

He thought about asking someone for directions, but the area was eerily quiet since it was the weekend and full of office buildings.

As he was about to pull out his phone to call for help, something caught his eye.

“Huh…?”

In a shadowy alley, he noticed an elderly woman leaning against a building, seemingly asleep.

Concerned, Jungin approached with a worried expression.

“Excuse me, ma’am? Are you alright?”

Seeing the frail old woman slumped over, Jungin rummaged through his bag and pulled out an untouched bottle of water.

Kneeling in front of her, he twisted off the cap and gently offered it to her.

“Here, have some water.”

“Oh… Thank you, dear.”

Relieved to hear her faint voice, Jungin helped the woman hold the bottle steady as she drank.

“Is this your home? Do you need help getting inside?”

“I’ll be fine. I just felt a bit weak for a moment.”

Her voice, now stronger than before, eased the deep crease in Jungin’s brow.

Still, he looked at her with concern, his clear eyes meeting hers as he asked, “Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital? I can help.”

“No, no, my son’s on his way. Don’t worry, child.”

The old woman gave him a faint smile, placing her wrinkled hand on his smooth one in a gesture of gratitude.

“Oh!”

The vibration of his phone startled Jungin.

Seeing Beomhyeon’s name on the screen, he quickly answered.

“Where are you?”

“Beomhyeon, I think I’m lost….”

Jungin’s voice carried a tinge of guilt as he explained the situation.

“Can you describe anything you see?”

Looking around at the identical buildings, Jungin sighed.

“There’s a red electronic billboard. Do you see it?”

“A billboard? Oh, yeah! The one with the cat on it?”

Recognizing the landmark, they agreed to meet there.

Feeling a wave of relief, Jungin broke into a bright smile.

“Got it! I’ll head over now. You don’t need to rush either, okay?”

“Don’t hang up.”

“Alright, hold on a sec.”

Turning back to the elderly woman, Jungin spoke with a hint of regret.

“Ma’am, my friend’s coming to get me, so I have to go now. It’s chilly, so please head inside when your son arrives.”

The old woman nodded slowly, gesturing for him to go, and Jungin bowed respectfully.

“Take care, ma’am!”

“…Child.”

“Yes?”

“If you ever find yourself curious, come back here.”

Jungin froze at her sudden remark.

Something about her voice seemed utterly transformed, sending chills down his spine.

“Who were you talking to?”

Beomhyeon’s voice crackled through the phone.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Goodbye, ma’am!”

Snapping back to his senses, Jungin hurried out of the alley, leaving the elderly woman’s watchful gaze lingering on his retreating figure.

“Poor thing,” she murmured, her cloudy eyes blinking slowly.

“What a pitiful child—abandoned by his parents, unable to guard even his own body, and burdened with such a harsh life.”

Her voice was heavy with sorrow as she reflected on the radiant aura that had surrounded him.

“With such pure and untainted energy, it’s no wonder all manner of foul things are drawn to him. His soul is riddled with cracks—how long can he endure? Truly, even the gods seem powerless….”

Recognizing the traces of numerous breaches in Jungin’s soul, she knew it hadn’t completely shattered yet—but it was only a matter of time.

“Vile creatures….”

As she watched him disappear, a group of people dressed in white hanbok hurried toward her.

“Spiritual Mother! Why are you out here alone in your condition?”

They wrapped a warm cloak around her and moved to help her inside.

“I’m fine. I can walk.”

One of her disciples spotted the water bottle in her hand and asked curiously, “Where did this come from?”

The old woman replied calmly, “Prepare for a retreat to Insubong Mountain soon. Something tells me we’ll need all our strength for what’s to come.”

“But, Spiritual Mother, a journey like that at your age…!”

Despite their concern, her sharp, mystical gaze silenced any protests.

“Make the preparations,” she instructed before finally heading inside.

As they helped her in, she glanced back, sensing she would meet the boy again.

---

“Lee Jungin!”

Jungin, sprinting toward the meeting spot, froze when a familiar hand caught his arm.

Turning, he saw Beomhyeon steadying him.

“What were you doing there?” Beomhyeon asked, confused by the direction Jungin had come from.

“Oh, well, I wasn’t working at the building you dropped me off at after all.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a long story… Oh, hey, Beomhyeon.”

Feeling relieved at having found him, Jungin rubbed his growling stomach and pointed at a nearby food cart.

“Have you ever tried that?”

Beomhyeon frowned at the colorful array of snacks under a bright red sign.

“What is it?”

“No way… You’ve seriously never had this? Not even once?”

I always thought he was a delicate young master, but hearing that he had never tried street food before?

That was surprising. Letting out a determined breath, Jungin grabbed Beomhyeon’s hand and led him toward a street vendor.

“Auntie, two servings of tteokbokki and one of sundae, but leave out the lungs and mix in some liver and heart. Oh, and three thousand won’s worth of fried gim-mari and squid, please! Can we have some fish cake soup too?”

Jungin plopped himself onto a blue plastic chair and patted the red chair next to him, motioning for Beomhyeon to sit down.

Thinking back, it had been strange from the beginning.

Losing one’s memory in an accident was one thing, but could it also change small habits or tastes?

* * *