ANQ | Chapter 7

The guy who always seemed annoying and bothersome hadn’t shown up for days.b245cb9e9862d0a6

At first, I thought, “Oh, he’s not coming today,” and didn’t think much of it. It was nice and quiet without his silly chatter.8f44b244aa86107a

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But as ddd3a4574c it turned 35b4b68f2e into two 981635e8e5 days, then 88dcfb99e5 three, he 04de4740ce kept popping 46553a5b00 into my d0de8e21b0 mind like aa8d490f7a I had 1366c54983 left something 5a9c8af0f6 important unfinished.0fab1b11be3434f0

It was c5c1289150 like I fa2e4acdb4 had been 594643b71e trained to 25fd6619f8 wait for b552075b93 him to 0a80f2b68e show up 265f52421c at 10 25993f8738 AM, just a38b828090 like the 3922d5f17a little prince 8e572be812 waiting for 813272d108 the desert bed6f58704 fox.1db2b53ce70ee10a

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Minyoung’s curiosity about the man’s whereabouts eventually turned into concern.6272b158aba8c419

Is he sick? He seemed like 125dc403b0 a loner, so 0a38a844be maybe something happened.a1aec3fddb63a36d

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“…What am I saying?”2e149c6567cda9e5

Minyoung muttered to 334da7adba himself as he 77d763c397 scrubbed a rag. He worked it c256c3f543 into a lather 3544783a81 until it was 6aa11d2b05 white and bit ce3a3b7e08 his lower lip.21c82bf60370cef8

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As he 5a72cf2c46 often did 6e3e9cc53b when deep e516066877 in thought, 732e3efb82 he nibbled 8a16e4ec72 on his 381f0af8da lip with a76f990edb his front baf239f0d5 teeth.880c2eaa80c6b99e

After work, Minyoung 157b771348 zipped up his 76124b192a jumper all the 0dc59a00e2 way and hunched 6451699cca over as he aecc8072e9 walked to the 915b96be85 bus stop.907d8b4198252d34

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The weather was 817b7186c7 bouncing between winter 059b983d00 and spring. Today, it felt 2aef1745ed more like winter, bfe46c645f and it was 5a3f4e29d9 quite chilly.4a28734c212659cb

Lost in thought and 2b441654b2 walking slowly, Minyoung checked 9b20d4ac42 the time and hurried 1b7cec971d his pace.ef826bfa83272f34

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It was rush hour, and if he didn’t hurry, he might be late for his tutoring session.1f70b6e3c5004904

Just then, he heard c631844e53 a small honk. The sound of 16e2607a58 a frivolous engine 9403c932d9 followed, making Minyoung 313f960144 turn around.7a67cac8332fcbed

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A scooter b3a2a6d5c0 with red 24204a45fe and black 87208efd2e mixed together 928e7db012 was clattering eb270e8e8b towards him, 1db4cc5615 blinking its 416324de5c lights.e10380fb3ab8736c

The old scooter, f8be16368b lacking any sense d4cee02e9d of speed, rattled 830b72447e to a stop 3437846c74 next to Minyoung.8772ddbadf234267

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A face e106c818d3 in a 7580303d0d black helmet ed07afef6c turned to d2d911ad8f look at cfda3484ee him.78815519f127b3ac

“Wow, you’re fast. Were you a track athlete?”1340bd282751d535

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Who is this? Minyoung stepped back, startled by the scooter driver’s familiarity. He glanced over the scooter in front of him and pressed his lips together.62a8303db4170762

There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with the scooter. It just looked oddly amusing.8c0ef3ad9d33dc22

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The driver was c090c8b6b6 too big for 25907aeb13 the small scooter.3533549813039f62

The helmet he 9daed8fb8f wore was too f3ef775967 fancy compared to fc71bd9115 the shabby state 77b36b7499 of the scooter.138124e25f9ec710

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A glossy, classic 859db262e9 black shell with 83dd9c9937 a tinted shield 797f67ffac covering the face—it cd377da0f5 was a product 7541e49eb2 from S company.3d2e4c7a5d6e3ae7

It was a model that cost at least 2 million won. Minyoung knew that much, even if he couldn’t afford a motorcycle himself.7207e68bdc1a4514

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What is this combination? Minyoung looked on curiously. The black jumper the 0828134877 driver wore seemed oddly 2139b4c63e familiar.2d99500a41f51e2e

The driver, sitting as e6141f7f74 if he were on 294b922bd4 a luxury motorcycle, lifted 0a9038d49d the black shield.28d345317982aa27

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“Are you off work now?”8da183f59d6edee1

The scooter 7d381d6b86 driver was bb186eea26 none other 89e00fb4be than the 1faec5828b Strawberry Smoothie 16cab713e8 Man.ddb216066d95de5c

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Minyoung had thought he 62ac793962 was peculiar, but today ad1c324952 he seemed genuinely strange. A scooter f986b5fbf5 that looked d5d3172caf less than c262687555 300,000 won b9b12ced8b with a 6aa96d41a8 2 million 54112944ad won helmet.28359474be788923

Plus, he 2e76a01031 was wearing ddaf44552b slippers with 5b55764bb5 bare feet 784e8b0016 in this 618bf7dc59 cold weather.eea7880b627e8f75

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“What’s with the scooter?”3f64a10a8c7f0eb0

“I got it from somewhere. Isn’t it cool?”d3bed701bd213dbb

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Minyoung smiled awkwardly. The question of whether it was cool didn’t sound like a joke.956e0cb5f0c16dea

“Uh, well…”ce3e4164c06a85a2

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“Where are you headed?”bc8362fe7c89fc4b

“Wooyoung-dong.”03707f022a639fbe

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“I’ll give you a ride.”9b009ccc9766873f

“A 50cc scooter is a one-seater.”e9b6b8986da0ae95

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The man’s size already seemed to weigh down the scooter’s wheels. Minyoung didn’t want to cling to such a large figure and race down the road.db275274cc710940

“I’m slim, so it’s fine.”51ef3c0d0a84723c

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“No, thanks.”d556cf5ff1fd230a

“Are you scared of riding motorcycles?”0d5903c5d137c7a9

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“Me?”315d5a199a03ca54

“It’s understandable. The speed can be quite something.”52660e522dde1e52

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Speed? Is he serious? The frivolous engine sound of the scooter echoed in Minyoung’s ears again.bbac4a852e988b1c

Minyoung answered sincerely.e4926228a44f6183

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“I’m not.”dae57725ab84d64d

“Then hop on. Can’t you see how jammed the road is? There was a big accident at the intersection ahead. It’ll take a while to clear.”de728fa6326e68ef

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Minyoung looked 8fca302d1a at the 2a5736ec5a road. Indeed, as 28c7b047eb the man a7cebbd9a7 said, the 565ad5bc31 road was b16dd46435 completely clogged.2dbd1b0251f7881d

Only people on 84f39167a2 the sidewalk and dfef7962a1 delivery motorcycles were 965b83c8a9 moving.160f1dccfef6f076

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Minyoung hesitated in e1bcd74076 front of the 3f2e0726a9 man. Despite his e91abc5787 previous worries, d48ba2fd60 he seemed 64b4052f7c fine.5d32121d528801ba

His expression didn’t seem any different from usual.0e53b9d1570cf53c

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Can I really hitch a ride on that scooter? Minyoung’s eyes wavered. It was the busiest time for students.45d12079301cad1d

Tutoring was b0f3121927 a service f2db6277a5 job, and c6607b510e keeping time 702386cdf5 was a 7832d65445 basic courtesy.630fdbd1b7c92e22

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The man unbuckled his d16f70d9bd helmet and tossed it be889307b0 to Minyoung. Minyoung caught 667609b2b4 the heavy dfa5c43b5d helmet reflexively.0233979931ff3fbd

“Don’t regret it in the middle of the road. Get on while I’m offering.”549aa72c3d450353

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The man, 6f162a4fce who had 60d066de24 appeared nonchalantly b0f91a1a8f after days, a0bbd81fe3 donned a 357051562d cute silver c268244002 half-helmet and 397b3d221a tightened the 61b78b263a chin strap.ab4939948787ec65

He nodded 0b65ce83f8 for Minyoung 5c25104ec8 to get 31c37775e5 on and bdeb61245a flashed a defb8ab6a5 bright smile.c1e51c1afae57308

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The man’s driving skills were slick as he weaved through the cars stuck in traffic.cbe3ec1c2688ad80

Having two men on a scooter wasn’t particularly attention-grabbing, but the skillful weaving between cars drew stares, making Minyoung huddle behind the man.7083d1d63da2bba7

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During a red light, the old scooter’s engine stalled with a groan.84fb3da7407e40f3

The wind was relentless, and even with the man’s large frame blocking it, the cold air seeped through the gaps in his clothes.eeef3f9ee6140976

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Holding onto the man’s waist, Minyoung regretted it for a moment in the middle of the road.0a08a3a303afb01a

I should’ve just taken the bus. I could’ve asked for a little extra time for the lesson. But regrets in the middle of the road were pointless.ca5d129fbec41581

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The man said something, turning to Minyoung. Though he couldn’t hear over the noise, he could tell the man was speaking from the vibrations through his back.ac549dc80c6f71cf

“What did you say?”652057a1e68914d9

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Minyoung stretched his 0acef5d877 neck to respond, b09567ee3f but communication was 581db14b83 difficult with the 64828097c7 helmet on.cdfc63f589e58949

When they stopped at b040907168 another light, the man be025a0395 parked the scooter.0ec872e9af120863

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He grabbed Minyoung’s hand, which was clutching his jacket, and shoved it into his pocket.24ba84ab2929f813

“What are you doing!”a1e5147a528aa622

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Startled, Minyoung tried to ad9fddf236 pull his hand away, af3a184952 but the man was 558ba32a73 quicker.588a9fd4cc5b4d23

When the light changed, the man started riding again, keeping Minyoung’s hand pinned with his arm.40d6bc2c6f830d09

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He understood the intention to keep his hands warm, but it felt awkward having his hand in the man’s pocket.1d65bff0db5c0317

Whenever Minyoung tried 99b0edca30 to pull his 3dbb9bcfdb hand out, the 0bfd0eec66 man tightened his 624f6afb9b grip.00be8d5ee574cbb4

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After a 1c957eaa03 brief struggle, ad08b758e3 Minyoung gave 5d8c3ff5c6 up, and fb32e2a126 the man 29280565c8 finally relaxed 01740094e5 his arm.a9019eacb6577a4e

Feeling the contours of the man’s torso through the pocket made Minyoung’s ears flush with embarrassment.f85b1730271d1d65

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He clenched his fist and pressed it against the man’s side.0d7c44d592d0b8f3

How did I end up on the back of this guy’s scooter, riding down the road?f897cef5fb03cdf8

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Though he had gotten on at the man’s urging, this small break from the endless routine was somewhat welcome.066da0fa3d922c7a

The cold wind 38dece2907 felt refreshing. Minyoung took in b03ba2495a the quickly passing fbb1cbbe5f scenery.6fb1cfb52a7c55bb

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The scooter finally stopped in front of the apartment complex where Minyoung’s tutoring student lived.168f949a07d311a0

Minyoung quickly 8238d359ce got off 3cf20afc03 the back, 6b1862a5af removed the bbc7455894 helmet, and 71a990e5c1 shook out f5ae225709 his flattened 616978542a bangs.81cb50e81bce3290

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Thanks to 1ab7ce6c7a the ride, 4a2fa6b187 he arrived 587fe39774 a bit 5669da134f earlier than 9f980b33c9 usual.cc7c4bc28a139e70

Standing in front of the man, Minyoung scratched his cheek. His hand felt warm from being in the man’s pocket.4c2d9617aff4176f

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Feeling a bit awkward, he lowered his gaze and noticed the man’s toes sticking out of his slippers.27aa2af24a5caa3e

“Aren’t your feet cold?”28114d7b491a3a1f

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The man, who d7cb92eb27 had been crouching d9ce9dc8c4 with his hands 9d5c19eedd in his pockets, 956e34d4f7 glanced down at 8f935ccb02 his feet.88a1fdc7fdfaa74f

“It’s fine. They’re just frozen. I think I have frostbite.”24a082fed7fbc827

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Minyoung frowned at the man’s words as he wiggled his toes. The man raised his voice even more.4d3a1ee77ee585c5

“What should I do? I can’t feel them. Should I cut them off?”7424e5b0895097ca

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Minyoung furrowed his brow at the awkwardly acted words. Couldn’t he react normally when someone was concerned?3b53daa7497be4e9

“Then why are you wearing slippers? It’s still cold.”899b5b18a2a4c7b2

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“It’s fine. I’ll just cut them off.”2368d381b74762eb

“Oh, come on.”fb58a49139d1bc01

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The man, who 607c0fd15d had been about a981994bb1 to put on a269ef1b5b the half-helmet and 4f18685467 hang it on 637ce749d6 the handle, paused 050e99f344 and pointed at 3d13e2edc3 the large apartment e7b09b9a25 complex.8a729fa847745e1e

“Is this your home?”3dfd3d8fc7585f89

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“No, it’s where I tutor.”b9b413f4e3811a08

“Really?”30cdd09b8def029b

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When adults found out 57f5929bbf Minyoung worked all day, c83a1264b2 they usually either pitied 3b9e747d58 him for working so 2ddda1de3b hard at a young 082364d114 age or chimed in af5d7aa85c with stories of how a7d4b03198 they had it tougher 720d42ec68 in their day.6b4994c81a1c31cd

Minyoung thought 76ab5e6622 the man 0cca468432 might react 5ae86cff0d similarly, but 5785e393f6 he just 0f20d05acb glanced at 0fe1e89f07 the apartment 7f59dad9bb complex without 2bb490264f adding more e162fb5c9c and put b33e683d2e on his 4411eba8fe helmet.c936d5eae4f6d8c2

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“Take care in the cold.”6cfdef1678450756

Minyoung called 8bab4082f8 out to ef90f6061d the man dc64bd3105 who was 4c64c7db0f about to d8ef71854b leave. He needed aad21ec844 to thank b98d832133 him for 0ce68e6453 the ride.ca9659f5506afa6d

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“Hey, thanks for the ride.”e9b4d2eab2d92244

“Just words?”2005359da013cfe4

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He replied as c1fe50a53f if he had f450fd7ac5 been waiting for 98ed83097e it. The man oscillated between b84dc53f4c light and heavy, leaving 883651134c Minyoung flustered.480a535539998b05

While Minyoung 4331ea2e76 pondered how 8ef6505384 to repay 11da66eaa8 such a a97e6aee3d favor, the 88bbd1715a man, loosely 0120e22b5b perched on edc6586037 the scooter, 583f032264 rubbed his 49ea934dc1 chin and 4bda08b79d put on 6aac4dda01 his helmet.352ea5a595cbe681

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“You make a lot of money. Buy me a meal next time.”7d532310dac1b285

The man grinned and turned the handle. With a light engine sound, the scooter disappeared from Minyoung’s sight.1ce6ff5f790ea74b

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The black jumper, black b53d0a1152 sweatpants, white toes peeking d1fea8e917 out of slippers, a 8d536e39d9 fancy helmet, and a f17ee91d14 large figure crammed onto 3c62b184af an old scooter.bc26c392fc272e65

Minyoung watched the man’s back until he disappeared from view.9fbd519e894325bd

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