Chapter 29
No animal gets affected by autumn as much as men.
The street trees, one by one, shed their tiresome summer clothes of green leaves and begin to adorn themselves in autumn fashion, their leaves turning yellow, brown, or red.
As the weather turns chilly, people break up with their open summer selves and begin to wrap themselves up tightly, like caterpillars building cocoons.
During the scorching summer, people were open but not close. Because it’s sticky and uncomfortable to cling to each other.
But when autumn comes, when there’s no need to overdress and it’s not sticky, they suddenly can’t get enough of clinging to each other.
A man in a sophisticated long coat, sporting a bold hairstyle slicked back with wax, walks arm in arm with a woman who is flirting with him.
To welcome the summer of madness, you must welcome the sprouting spring, and to sprout in spring, you must spend the cold, lonely winter with someone.
That’s why men go crazy knocking on every door come autumn.
Please, just give it to me once!
If you won’t give it to me, at least show me your p*ssy before you go!
“It’s a time when many people flock to Hongdae, in a different sense than the summer stained with madness.”
If summer is when YOLO(YOLO) folks go wild, trying to burn out even the last ember of their lives, autumn is the season of those whose brains are dominated by their breeding instincts.
It’s only lunchtime, but the streets are already overflowing with people.
“One, one, two, one, one, one, one, one, one, six.”
One person should have only one”saju”, one soul, and one personality. Just like Heaven’s tickets are limited to one per person.
But this street, where debauchery is second to none and extravagance and pleasure are never enough even if you empty your wallet, attracts all sorts of people.
While Seoul Station always has a constant flow of people coming and going for transportation, this place is a chaotic melting p*t. A place where a guy with so much hanging off him can walk around without a care in the world is Hongdae.
“He’s got a lot hanging off him, that f*cker.”
I looked at the back of the man in the stylish long coat who had just passed me, with a pretty woman on his arm.
If a pretty woman has a lot hanging off her, it’s highly likely she’s had multiple abortions. Conversely, if a handsome man has a lot hanging off him, it’s highly likely he’s involved in crime.
Folding up my picnic mat and getting up, I followed the seemingly fresh and well-matched couple.
The place they entered was a cafe used as a kind of mood setter before an evening dinner or motel s*x.
A cozy cafe where the signature menu is the Magma Omelette and the sweet and sour Golden Apple Juice is popular.
The two of them went up to the second floor and headed for a corner table by the window as if they had planned it.
Since the business is so good, unlike ordering directly at the counter, this cafe has its own formality where the staff takes your order at your table.
That’s why a regular cafe, not even a franchise, is using both the first and second floors.
I sat down at a table a little distance away from them, with a partition subtly separating us.
“Oppa, you’re very different from other men these days.”
“Hmm? In what way?”
“Well, men these days…just looking at them makes me angry, but you, Oppa, strangely make me laugh.”
“Is it because my face is so funny?”
“Pfft! If Oppa’s face is funny, then all the men in the world would be comedians. It’s like…I’m full without eating? I’m happy for no reason? That’s how I feel.”
“Oh, I thought we were thinking differently~.”
“Wow, do you feel that way when you see me too, Oppa?”
“Didn’t you know? I’ve been smiling all day.”
“Kyaaa! What should I do! Oppa, why are you so sweet?!”
While the woman was making a fuss, the waiter came up from downstairs to take their order.
“It was quite chilly today, so I’d like something that will warm my girlfriend’s heart.”
“Ah, then I recommend this menu. It’s a drink that our owner developed himself, and it’s a fascinating drink because the taste and aroma change over time. It’s a popular menu because it tastes different when it’s warm and when it’s cold……”
The waiter, a petite woman, flustered by the man’s gentle approach, unfolded the menu and even made recommendations.
“That sounds good. Then two of these, and one of today’s random couple cake slices, please.”
Today’s random menu was literally a menu that changed every day.
It’s a kind of cafe version of”omakase”, and it’s a business item that the owner made for couples who enjoy”collecting stamps”because different menus come out every time, even though it’s the same product.
Why do I know this? Because I’m also”collecting stamps”here. For reference, yesterday’s random menu was ice cream cake topped with freeze-dried fruit.
‘The apple flavor was the best.’
As you know, men are very susceptible to autumn.
“Sir, would you like to order?”
Receiving a look mixed with disappointment and regret from the waiter who had come up to me, I ordered a random cake and a drink.
I had solved the”saju”swap case of Kim Hye-ji and Jeong Su-ji before, and received a hefty reward from Jeong Su-ji’s grandmother.
She had mistaken the slimmed-down Kim Hye-ji for her granddaughter due to the swapped”saju”, and the unperceptive people around her naturally treated Kim Hye-ji as Jeong Su-ji.
Although she was still using the name Kim Hye-ji, she was living Jeong Su-ji’s life without anyone knowing.
If I had shown the grandmother a picture of the now-chubby Jeong Su-ji, she would have said,”She’s my granddaughter’s friend, Jeong Su-ji.”
Although”saju”is not everything that constitutes a person, it is a standard for spiritually identifying a person.
To begin with, there’s no way that the grandmother, who can’t handle her free time and is running a”kongnamul gukbap”business in Seoul while paying expensive rent, could be the real grandmother of the poor Kim Hye-ji.
I smiled bitterly at the world where equality is nowhere to be found, and then the couple behind me started making a fuss again.
“I met the people Oppa introduced me to and studied with them, and it was really good. They pinpointed the areas I didn’t know and taught me!”
“Right? They’re really good people. Thanks to them, I’m an S Man now.”
S Man, a slang term referring to a man who works for a famous domestic company with the initial S.
“Ha, I was a complete mess before I met Oppa. No matter how hard I studied, my grades were always at the bottom whenever I took exams, so I was very depressed……”
“Is it still like that? Then I’m a little worried.”
“Heung! Of course not. It seems like everything is going well since I met Oppa. Everyone I meet is kind, they teach me well if I don’t know something, and I can go on dates with Oppa like this. It would be weird if I was still depressed.”
“Our Seon-yeong is cute even when she’s exaggerating.”
“Ah! I’m not exaggerating! I’m completely serious!”
“Okay, okay, I know~.”
“Geez, it’s true…Ah! I think our order is ready.”
“I’ll get it, so wait here.”
As the buzzer vibrated, the man got up from his seat as if he had been waiting and went down to get the food.
Since my buzzer also rang after that, I followed him after a short interval.
This cafe had a closed structure as you had to go around a corner and up and down stairs. So, every time I took a step, a thumping sound echoed.
However, the thumping sound stopped halfway down the stairs. If I remember correctly, there are about twenty steps, but the thumping stopped after only a few steps.
“Excuse me, I’ll just pass by.”
I deliberately made a loud noise as I went down the stairs and naturally passed by him, who was waiting quietly in the middle.
For a brief moment, I saw a faint wariness in his eyes as he watched me pass by.
But as I got my food first and went back upstairs, he couldn’t wait any longer and brought up the couple set.
I hid in the space behind the partition before he came up to the second floor.
When he returned, they were once again having a happy time like any other couple.
They talked about the new autumn fashion, the woman asked for advice on her future career path from the self-proclaimed S Man, and they chattered non-stop about other gossip like sparrows.
Then, a change occurred between the two people who looked like a happy couple while enjoying cake and drinks.
The woman suddenly slammed her head on the table with a thud.
“Ah, Oppa. I think I’m suddenly sleepy from eating too many sweets…Food comaaaaaaa……?”
“Are you okay? Should we go somewhere to rest if you’re tired?”
“Uhhhmmm…I think I shouldoooooo……”
When our Seon-yeong fell asleep, I saw the S Man, who hadn’t even touched his drink or cake, escorting her out.
Ah, another new history will be written at the motel tonight.
“The daily bread you gave me today wasn’t to my taste. Amen.”
I also got up from my seat, leaving the untouched mint chocolate cake behind.