The Best of Tomorrow

Uh… Baek In-hyuk? Then the other person, whose bread was just taken, was…

As I moved my eyes to the side, Baek In-hyuk hit the person next to him with his elbow. A man in a gray sweatshirt, who was looking at Baek In-hyuk, turned his face.

It’s Seon-jae. My God, why are they here? Who do you want to meet?

I turned my body around and accelerated my slow walk. I wondered if they had something to do at the girls’ high school or who they came to see, but that was not important now.

Don’t run into Seon-jae.

As I walked down the street, taking big steps, moving my feet quickly, someone grabbed my bag. I stopped and looked back as if I had been caught. Seon-jae was holding the bag.

“Kim Chun-baek.”

“…..Uh, huh?”

What do you mean, Kim Chun-baek? I blinked my eyes.

“I came here because you didn’t know how to answer the phone.”

“Huh? What, what are you talking about…?” I put my hand on my shoulder, shuttering in embarrassment.

Baek In-hyuk put his arm around my shoulder. At that moment, the message I sent to Seon-jae came flashed through my mind.

“I don’t have a warrant, but you’ll have to come with me.”

“Huh? No, I’m going home now…”

“Let’s go.” Baek In-hyuk said and Seon-jae pulled the bag.

I couldn’t help but cry when I was dragged without knowing why.

“Can you just leave me alone?”

I asked carefully, but Seon-jae didn’t let go of my bag, and Baek In-hyuk didn’t let go of my shoulder.

We left the alley and walked along the main street. I was caught between two tall men and it was undoubtedly a takeaway.

Guys, did I make illegal slush funds or embezzle public funds? Do you have to drag me like this?

The withered leaves of Platanus were scattered on the road. As he stepped on the fallen leaves, he flipped the hood and moved his hand on top of his head.

I want to change clothes soon. “Huh? It’s not cold. I’m cold… Um… can you tell me where we go?”

Seon-jae, who had been walking with a bag all the time, stopped and reached for the road.

Seon-jae opened the rear door when the taxi stopped on the shoulder of the road.

“We’re going to go eat. Get on board.”

“What? Eat?”

I didn’t even say I was going to ride, but Baek In-hyuk pushed me on the back.

Baek In-hyuk and I got in the back seat, and Seon-jae got in the front seat.

Every time I moved, I heard a rustle from my down jacket.

Seon-jae, wearing a seat belt, told the driver where to go. The taxi slipped off. The destination Seon-jae mentioned was something I knew.

The taxi is heading to Ryu’s restaurant, where I haven’t returned their apron yet.

“Driver, please stop. I’m getting off here. Help me, please.”

*

*

*

—-

On the way by taxi, ‘Now Radio Era’ was being broadcasted. Seo Young-eun’s song ‘I’m not alone’, the song requested by the listener, was being played. I sat with my hands folded and looked out the window. Like the opening of an anime I saw when I was a kid, yellow subtitles seemed to float on the window.

‘When you are tired, look up at the sky, you are not always alone.’

Baek In-hyuk kept fiddling with the padding and asked if it was hot. I looked up at the sky.

Seo Young-eun, I just saw the sky. What should I do when I am tired and not alone?

Suddenly the window buzzed and went down. The wind hit my cheek and blew my hair. As I looked down, Baek In-hyuk reached out his hand and pressed the down button on the window.

What are you doing?

Baek In-hyuk looked up at me, slightly bending towards me. “No, I thought you must be feeling hot.”

“…No, I don’t feel hot.”

“Really?”

Baek In-hyuk removed his hand and pressed the window up button. As the coming wind was blocked, my fluttering hair sank.

-On a tearful day, scream out loud

I imagined looking out the window and screaming loudly. I was wondering how I came to the school for a while, but it seemed easy to understand if I looked into the school uniform.

I was curious about why Seon-jae came to me and why he was taking me to Ryu’s restaurant. I took my cell phone out of my pocket and opened the messages I exchanged with Seon-jae. The number was removed from the address book, so the number was displayed instead of the name.

[My name is Kim Chun-baek, I am seventy this year. I think you sent it wrong. I don’t know how to answer the phone.]

This was the last message exchanged with Seon-jae. And Seon-jae grabbed my bag and called me Kim Chun-baek.

What are you trying to investigate? You lied to be Kim Chun-baek? The one with the apron? Did you go to Ryu’s restaurant? Do you know Seon-jae?

Even if I tried to prepare the answers in advance, there were too many questions I could not answer.

I saw Seon-jae sitting in the passenger seat, putting his cell phone in his pocket. Even in the midst of this, the face that looked obliquely was very pretty. A sigh flowed out of frustration. I turned my head and looked up at the sky. It was dark…