Park Ye-young yawns loudly.
"Weather's crazy."
…
She's working here?
Didn't know she was doing a gig this far out.
How many shifts does she pull a day? Job freak?
Ye-young wiggles her legs and says,
"What're you doing here?"
"Came to check out the new place…"
Can't say I was scoping out jobs too!
Working with her might screw me over.
She'd probably make me do her share too.
"Oh."
Ye-young nods.
Why's she got such dark circles under her eyes?
How many shifts is she working?
"How's the job here?"
"Here?"
She chews her vape pen, thinking.
"Pretty normal, I guess."
Thought a public job would be cushy…
Guess not.
No reason to work this far out then.
But it looks kinda cushy—she's chilling with her vape…
"How's the vibe?"
"Vibe?"
Ye-young scratches her nose.
"What, you gonna work here too?"
"Just curious. If it's decent, maybe I…"
"Hmm."
She thinks again, like *what vibe does a job have?*
"Seems fine among the guys."
Really?
Not so much with the girls?
Ye-young taps her vape pen, eyeing me.
"You done swimming? Heading home?"
"Yeah, home."
Nothing to do here.
Came to check out the job, but maybe no point…
"Yo, I'm off soon. Wait up, let's grab food."
"Food?"
Why would I eat with you?
I'll just eat at home.
"I'll eat at home—"
"Ugh, fuck."
Ye-young glares.
"Let's hit a meat place, fucker."
"… …"
Why the threat?
I get eating alone at a meat place is tough, but…
"You paying?"
If she's covering, I'm in!
Ye-young blinks at my words.
*What bullshit are you saying?*
"You wanna die? We're splitting, obviously."
"… …"
Then why the hell would I eat with you?
---
Been ages since I hit a meat place.
It's still early, a bit bright outside.
Gloomy, though—sun'll set soon.
The meat place's small bulb lights twinkle.
"Three servings of samgyeopsal, please."
"Okay."
Been a while since I came to one.
I don't eat meat often…
If I do, it's just a couple chunks from the butcher, grilled at home.
Rarely eat out—too pricey.
OnlyFans money's why I'm here… otherwise, no way.
"Wipe the grill with fat first, it cooks better."
"Oh… okay."
I'm grilling?
Suddenly nervous.
Haven't grilled in forever.
Won't get chewed out for sucking at it, right? Fuck.
*Sizzle.*
Thick samgyeopsal hits the grill.
Ohh… been so long.
*Drip drip.*
But this girl.
She's been glued to her phone since we got here.
Why drag me here just to stare at your phone?!
Sure, girls are always on their phones, but still…
"…Popular, huh?"
Who's she texting so much?
Thought she's texting 'cause I'm quiet, so I throw it out there.
"?"
Ye-young glances up, then back down.
*What bullshit, loser.*
Grr…
*Just grill the meat…*
Came to eat, not chat with her.
I pout, flipping the meat.
Fuck, it's burnt.
*Sneak.*
Hide it quick…
Sweating my ass off.
"Hah."
Ye-young sighs, putting her phone down.
Who was she texting? Looked so blank.
"Two beers too, please."
"Okay."
She pops open a soju she ordered earlier.
I'm not drinking…
"So annoying."
"Who?"
"That pool staff from earlier."
Oh.
Wondered who she was texting.
"What'd you talk about?"
What's there to talk about with staff?
Ye-young stares, propping her chin.
*Why do you care, loser?* Fuck.
"…I'll just grill."
What else am I supposed to say?
*How you been? Good grades? Killing it at work?* Can't ask that.
*Sizzle.*
The grilling sound flares up.
Juha and In-ha are angels compared to this.
At least I don't overthink with them…
"What's a staff got to text me about?
Probably wants to fuck, dumbass."
Uh… nice word choice…
"Must've been a while since they fucked."
Okay, stop with the "fuck" talk.
My back's heating up…
"Hah."
Ye-young props her chin again, staring at the meat.
If you don't like it, just ignore the texts.
Maybe she can't ghost them 'cause they're staff?
Guess that's a workplace struggle.
"You don't date?"
She asks dryly.
Why ask me that? If I answer seriously, she'll call me a loser…
No clue if I could even date, or where to meet someone.
Plus, with Juha and In-ha around, no way that's happening…
"When you going to the military?"
"Probably after freshman year."
"Gotta date before you go, right?"
If I could, I would've…
You think I don't want to? Fuck…
"Gotta lose your virginity first."
She says it so casually.
Shockingly, I already did. I'm no virgin.
Solo virgin, maybe…
"Hah…"
Can't help but sigh.
"Why you sighing, dumbass?"
"… …"
Just sighing, okay?
I hide the burnt bits, cutting the meat.
Is it cooked right? Lighting's making it hard to tell.
"Probably more people haven't done it.
Lose it after the military."
I'll handle my virginity, so shut up…
Ye-young picks at side dishes, then smirks.
"Or pay for it… never mind."
*Snicker.*
Laughing at her own joke.
She giggles, looking behind me.
"Want me to hook you up?"
"W-What?"
Hook me up with what? That's terrifying.
"Like, 500k, and some girls would do it.
How much you got?"
"Not a damn cent, fuck."
"Then how you gonna lose it, dumbass?
How much you got?"
I'll handle my virginity, fuck! Stop caring!
"I'll figure it out, okay?"
"Figure out what? Don't cry when some weird ajumma takes it."
What's that scary talk?
---
*Drip drip drip.*
Shit, raining.
Wasn't earlier.
"What? Rain?"
"Yeah…"
Not a shower, but it's coming down.
"Tch."
Ye-young smacks her lips, looking out.
Her stomach's bloated from the meat. Just her belly sticking out.
"Hmm…"
She squats by the shop's window, puffing her vape.
I squat too, looking up.
Feels like it'll pour harder soon…
"Annoying to go to the dorm."
Yeah…
Timing's weird, kinda inconvenient.
She exhales smoke, staring at me.
Why me?
"Where's your place?"
"Kinda far."
"Tch."
It's close, but I can't say that.
If I do, she'll drag me there.
Plus, I don't live alone anymore…
"Hah. Might sleep at the playground."
Why the playground?
Even homeless people wouldn't sleep outside.
"Might as well get a motel—"
"Too pricey."
She frowns.
Fair, no need to spend thousands to sleep.
Maybe a PC bang… or is there a jjimjilbang nearby?
"What about you?"
She asks back.
What kinda question is that?
"Me? I'm going home, obviously—"
…Why's she glaring?
"You got nothing tomorrow, right?"
"Well, no, but…"
Doesn't mean I'm sleeping outside.
"Can't I just go home?"
"God, you're so clueless."
What bullshit?
*You're* the clueless one!
No sane adult sleeps at a playground, crazy.
---
"Cozy, right?"
"… …"
Not cozy at all.
Somehow ended up at the playground.
The restaurant owner even lent us an umbrella, and we still came here, fuck.
"It's not cold if you sleep on the slide.
Or up on the second level with an umbrella—super warm."
What is this, camping training?
Why do this when I have a warm house…
"Stop sulking, fuck."
"Ugh…"
These crazy delinquent girls. Why do they love playgrounds so much…
"Brings back memories."
"… …"
It does.
Used to get dragged here, wasting hours watching them.
Even now, feels like a waste of time.
Could've made millions power-leveling in games back then…
"So cold."
You dumbass.
Weren't you just saying it's warm?
"… …"
Ye-young stares at me.
No, I got no clothes to give. Don't steal mine, fuck.
"Hah."
She leans back, wiggling her feet.
Can't understand this delinquent vibe.
"You really sleeping here?"
"What, fake sleeping?"
"What if you get sick?"
She sighs.
"I'm not a grandpa, why would I get sick, fuck."
Feels like you would…
Now I gotta pee.
Going to the bathroom's a whole ordeal.
"Gotta hit the bathroom."
"Just pee over there."
"Need to wash my hands…"
"Use rainwater."
You an animal? Next, you'll say drink the rainwater.
I grab the umbrella and stand.
Ye-young looks up at me.
Staring like a stray cat.
"Run, and you're dead."
…How'd she know?
I open the umbrella, trudging to the bathroom. Where's the shopping area?
"… …"
I glance back.
Ye-young's staring blankly at my back.
What's with these delinquent girls' heads?
"Hah…"
Gotta grab a raincoat on the way.
Do convenience stores sell blankets? Never thought I'd be homeless with a perfectly good house…
*Trickle.*
Pee out, I head back outside.
Now's my chance to bolt!
*Peek.*
I glance at the playground.
Ye-young's staring blankly at the sky.
…Fuck.