December 24, 2030

  Christmas Eve brought festive cheer, with Christmas trees adorning the city. Children sang carols in Russian, and the Salvation Army collected donations with boxes labeled “Help War Orphans.” Slurp. Park Sung-jae, sipping coffee in a self-driving taxi, watched the scenery. “…Next news. As the Second Ukraine War, which began in 2027, enters a lull, talks of a ceasefire are circulating. Ukraine’s re-elected President Zelenskyy proposed a ceasefire agreement for the new year…”

  The taxi’s TV broadcast heightened the mood. An alert chimed as the taxi reached its destination. “…The fare is 300 rubles, automatically deducted via bank transfer.” Park Sung-jae stepped out, meeting Jang Cheol-dae and Baek Hyung-jin in the city center. “Yo, how’s it going?” They greeted him warmly. Baek Hyung-jin patted his back. “Heard you were at the Sinan salt flats. Tough gig.” Park Sung-jae shrugged and sat on a bench. Jang Cheol-dae and Baek Hyung-jin joined him.

  “…Where’s Ko A-young at? Is she coming here?” Jang Cheol-dae shook his head at Park Sung-jae’s question. Park Sung-jae rubbed his chin. “…Hmm… how about we take the broken machine to the demo tomorrow? The point is to show the prototype, right?” Baek Hyung-jin put a hand on his shoulder. “No way. Jang Cheol-dae wants to show a working prototype.” Park Sung-jae sighed, looking between them. “Then we wait till morning. Don’t be so gloomy—you’re making me depressed.” Jang Cheol-dae shook his head. “…It’s not about that. Gamamusa said he’s doing the same experiment on Song Jae-seob that he did on Kim Dae-hyun.” Park Sung-jae was shocked. “On that psycho? Damn, that’s crazy.”

  …

  April 16, 2005

  Now in eighth grade, Class 7, Jung Min-ju chatted with other girls. “…Wow, that’s so pretty, Min-ju! Where’d you get it? I tried buying one on Carrot Market but couldn’t!” Jung Min-ju showed off her bracelet. The girls’ eyes sparkled as they touched it. “Let me feel it!” They took turns. Suddenly, they went quiet, staring at Ko A-young lingering near the classroom. Ko A-young, with envious eyes, watched Jung Min-ju among the girls. Embarrassed at being caught, she hid. The girls glared until she left, then exhaled. “Phew, that girl keeps coming to our class. So annoying.”

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  Jung Min-ju flinched at the comment, scratching her head. “…Uh… yeah… why does she keep showing up?” Her friends looked at her with pity. “Ugh, don’t get me started. A-young’s always saying she was friends with you last year, even though she’s dating a delinquent.” Another nodded. “Yeah, she said Song Jae-seob confessed to her. Ugh, I hate that couple…” Jung Min-ju looked uncomfortable but forced a smile, changing the topic. “…Hey, let’s talk about something else.”

  Step, step. Ko A-young, head down and face covered, walked the hallway. Thud! She bumped into a boy blocking her path and fell. Looking up, she saw Song Jae-seob smirking, patting her head. “Yo, how’s your day? Wanna skip school and hit the amusement park?” Ko A-young slapped his hand away. “…I told you not to act like we’re close! You keep clinging, and now people are spreading weird rumors.” Song Jae-seob grabbed her chin and slapped her. “You think I’m doing this ‘cause I like you? I said 80,000 won by this month, you crazy bitch. One tax audit from my dad, and your mom’s shop is done. Bet that’d be fun, huh?” Ko A-young glared, tears streaming. Song Jae-seob laughed. “…Haha, crying like a girl now? That shit doesn’t work on me, you nutcase.”

  …

  Rattle. Park Sung-jae brought the broken machine, covered with a white cloth, to the demo. He came alone while Jang Cheol-dae and Baek Hyung-jin slept at the hotel, carrying a verified sugar meter in his pocket. “…Phew… don’t choke. The machine will succeed. If the real prototype works, one fake demo will be forgotten…” As the door opened, he stepped inside. The stage had a large space for the invention and a microphone for the presentation. Clearing his throat, Park Sung-jae faced Russian investors. “Ahem… Zdravstvuyte (Hello). (Russian) My name is Park Sung-jae. The invention I’m presenting today is…”

  Creak. The demo hall’s door opened. Gamamusa dragged in a machine, with Ko A-young pushing from behind. Park Sung-jae stared, dumbfounded. “…Where the hell were you? Just let me handle it.” Ko A-young, panting, marched up and slapped him. The investors gasped. “You idiot, think I haven’t seen guys like you? A demo like this will ruin us! One bad image, and we’re done!” Park Sung-jae glanced at the investors. “…Think we’re already screwed…” He and Ko A-young looked at the audience. Some investors frowned or checked their watches. Gamamusa cleared the broken machine from the stage, unveiling the new one. He faced the investors. “(Russian) Can you spare a moment? I missed a few parts—it’ll take 10 minutes to assemble.” Several investors left, leaving three in the hall. Two looked uninterested, but a man in a black suit checked his watch and turned to Gamamusa. “(Russian) …Five minutes.”

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