BAKSU
Si Kyo strolls along the pavement, unbothered and humming a random tune that absolutely does not match his chaotic energy. He then tosses the empty paper bag from his bakery visit into a nearby bin with a flick.
"Ten points for style. Zero for aim."
It bounces off the rim and flops in. He shrugs like a king who never loses.
Just then…
A small figure appears. Serious face. A young boy—no older than six—walks straight toward Si Kyo with the calm but menacing look.
Si Kyo spots him approaching, blinks twice. Then tilts his head.
"Uh… did I eat a croissant that good I hallucinated a child?"
The boy stops a few steps in front of him. Looks him up. Dead serious.
"You look like a TikToker."
Si Kyo gasps. Offended.
"Wow. That's… honestly one of the worst things you could say to a man at this hour. You wound me, tiny stranger."
" Do you do pranks?"
"Only on people who wear socks with sandals, eat pineapple pizza and like mints so much."
"You look like someone who does those fake crying apology videos."
Si Kyo clutches his heart dramatically.
"How dare you read me for filth when I've done nothing but existing?"
"Your hair is loud."
" Your face is too loud!"
They stare at each other. The silence is tense. Then—
" Fair enough." The boy shrug.
And just like that, they vibe.
From the distance, hidden behind a bush, the strange man watches the exchange through his camera lens. He lowers it slightly.
"What... is this strange interaction?"
Back on the street, Si Kyo squats to the boy's eye level.
"So, tell me, young insult generator… what are you doing wandering around Busan looking like a tax auditor?"
The boy lifts his hand, revealing an oddly elegant-looking wooden boomerang.
Si Kyo leans closer, intrigued.
"…Hold on. Is that a real boomerang?"
" Yeah."
"In Korea?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"My grandpa gave it to me."
Si Kyo snatches it from him.
"I must play with it."
"Hey!"
Si Kyo's already winding up dramatically, poses like he's in an Olympic.
"Witness my power!!"
He flings the boomerang so hard it slices through the morning air with a dangerous whizz and disappears over a building.
Silence. They wait. And wait. Still silence.
The strange man behind the bush peers in the direction it went.
" ...Impressive distance."
Still nothing.
The boy slumps his shoulders, lip twitching in despair.
"Awww…"
"What?"
" That was from my grandpa. It's the last thing he gave it to me before passing way."
"Wait—what?!"
From the bush, the strange man shakes his head in disappointment.
"Tsk tsk tsk…"
Si Kyo crouches awkwardly next to the kid.
"Hey, listen… sometimes in life, mistakes are made. By other people. That we don't name. Even if they have great hair and stunning visuals."
The boy sniffles.
" I'm gonna go cry to my mom."
"…Respect."
The boy walks away sadly. Si Kyo sighs, flops onto a nearby bench.
"Well. That happened. What now…"
He leans back, eyes half closed, sighs again—THWACK!
The flying boomerang hits him square in the forehead. He slumps sideways off the bench, out cold. The boomerang spins to a stop at his feet.
From behind the bush, the strange man stands up slightly—alarmed, peers over the leaves.
" It's back. And at the right moment too."
He adjusts his camera.
Click.
Another photo.
Like documenting a rare species of idiot in its natural habitat.