Time Mansour - Chapter 76
Only Noblemtl
Episode 76: If you plant a horse in the ground
Black hat.
Sunglasses.
Even the black mask.
Even though I can’t see your face.
I could tell at a glance.
‘Mina.’
An appearance that even a mask can’t hide.
‘Of course it wasn’t like that.’
I see you walking around like that even in the summer.
I thought he was just a celebrity.
“long time no see.”
“Yes. Hello. You’re here early. But… are you uncomfortable?”
He raised his finger as he answered, pointing to the mask and hat.
“No. I’m used to it, so it’s okay.
Mina shakes her head from side to side and laughs.
A bright smile appears behind the mask.
“Uh… It’s a little late. You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? There’s a meat restaurant nearby that I often go to. Would you like to go there?”
“Yes. Meat is good.”
As I nodded, Mina started to walk ahead. With every step, her tied-back hair swayed like a compass needle.
Using the shaking needle as a landmark, I followed Mina.
The place we arrived at after following Mina was a small restaurant nearby. The owner greeted us warmly at the counter and pretended to know us. Then he guided us to our room.
I asked briefly how he was doing while sitting on the chair.
“How have you been? Congratulations. I heard about your relationship. I saw it in the article.”
“Yes. Well… that’s what happened.”
He lowers his head and blushes.
Is it really that cold in the middle of summer?
Both cheeks turned red.
“Thank you so much. I thought I would never see you again. Thank you so much..”
“No, I was lucky.”
I’m afraid that if I try to be too fancy, it might become a burden.
He answered as if it was no big deal and opened the lid of the spoon container.
While I was putting the spoon and chopsticks away.
Mina was pouring water and trying to ask me a question.
however.
“How on earth did you find it···”
Knock knock.
While Mina was asking questions.
Suddenly the door opened and an employee came in.
A briquette hangs precariously on the tip of a pair of tongs.
“wait a minute.”
I leaned in to listen to the employee’s words.
A blast of heat passed by my shoulder.
“I’ll take what I always eat, so please give me three servings.”
Mina orders with a line she’s heard many times.
If the place hadn’t been a meat restaurant, I would have thought I was watching a drama.
After Mina places her order, she turns her head and looks at me again.
“What did I say earlier… Oh. Right. How on earth did you find Jin-soo? Without even knowing his name. With just a picture.”
“I’m a Red Blue fan. There were a lot of Red Blue photos on Jinsoo’s SNS. I just kept looking at them.”
It was just the right thing to do. I deliberately answered in an exaggerated voice so as not to sound too serious.
Let me answer as a joke.
Mina opened her eyes wide and tilted her head.
“Does that make sense?”
“That’s what I’m saying. It was fate for you two to meet.
“Fate… I hope so. Anyway, thank you very much.”
“If you’re so kind, could you please sign it? And a picture, too?”
“of course.”
Mina nodded and raised her finger.
Stretch out your arms and adjust the frame so that Mina on the opposite side appears with you.
So I pressed the shutter.
“Oh. Seriously. Take it again. It came out weird.”
Mina kept shaking her head.
I deleted it so many times.
After repeating the process of retaking the photo.
In the end.
“No way. I’ll take a picture with my phone. Who uses the default photo app these days?”
He grumbles and takes pictures with his phone.
I was about to answer that the basic app was the original face.
But since he’s an idol, I have to take care of his pride, I thought to myself and kept my mouth shut.
After taking the picture with such difficulty, I put the phone down.
I was fiddling with the tongs to slowly place the meat on the grill.
suddenly.
“Right. Mr. Youngjun, what kind of style do you like?”
Mina asked an unexpected question.
“···”
I stared blankly at Mina for a while, wondering what on earth she was talking about.
**
“Suddenly?”
“Just tell me. Cute style? Or model-like type? And how much of an age difference is okay? And personality···”
“Okay. It’s okay.”
I cut him off in the middle because I thought the story would get too long if I left it alone.
I waved the tongs back and forth to signal to stop, then placed the meat on the grill. Sizzle. The pork belly sticks to the grill. It sticks tenaciously.
“Why? Let me introduce you to someone. Even if you don’t plan on dating, just meet some people.”
“If we meet, we will meet. Like everyone else.”
I answered as if I was just exhaling.
It was a nagging thing I heard so often that I didn’t think about it anymore.
“When was the last time you did it?”
“It must have been more than 36 years.”
“Huh? Wait. 36 years? So never once…?”
“Yes. This is how it is in this life.”
I don’t know about my last life. I don’t remember it.
He is deeply troubled as he recites such an obvious repertoire.
‘Should I turn it over now or not?’
This is always a concern when grilling meat.
There are cases where it appears ripe on the outside but is not ripe.
“Why? Is there a reason why you don’t date?”
“No. It just happened as I lived.”
“Are you single by any chance? Something like that?”
I hesitated a little at Mina’s question without realizing it.
“Oh, just a moment. Let me turn the meat over.”
I needed some time to think,
As soon as I smelled something burning, I picked up the tongs.
Profit.
The pork belly turns over.
Every time I toss and turn, a smell rises along with the smoke.
“I wonder if I should stay single.”
I’ve never thought about it seriously.
Kids seem to like it though.
I just don’t know much about marriage.
I continued to think like that.
It wasn’t until all the pork belly on the grill had flipped over that I opened my mouth.
“I’m not a single person… I just don’t have the confidence to take responsibility for someone.”
Being responsible for someone.
I tried it once, but I wasn’t very good at it. It wasn’t easy.
When I think of my older sister like that.
I guess a bitter smile appeared on my face without me knowing.
Mina also hesitates to speak when she sees my expression.
For a while.
Silence grew over the grill.
Is it cooked well and golden brown?
It was time for Mina to slowly put it on.
“No. I am not responsible.”
“yes?”
“Think about it. People who love each other live together as if they were each other’s children. It’s not like one person is responsible.”
The meat isn’t even cooked yet.
Mina’s cheeks were already puffed out.
Instead of meat, the bowl is filled with air.
“That’s right. I hadn’t thought of that.”
I’ve never tried to rely on anyone in my life, so I’ve never thought about it like that.
Will. Will. He nodded while mumbling softly.
“Okay. I think it’s ripe.”
I smelled something burning and started cutting.
Mina’s chopsticks moved. She picked up a few pieces at a time and put them in her mouth.
After filling my mouth with meat like that, I chewed it carefully.
Suddenly, he started complaining about his situation. The table was filled with complaints and side dishes.
“Isn’t that funny? Why are you breaking up with me because you’re hurting me? And you’re not even contacting me.”
“That’s right. It’s really funny.”
“And if that much time has passed, then what? You could have come back again. Why did you hide until I found you? You came to every concert, didn’t you?”
“That’s right. I’m not the main character of some tragic story.”
I’m letting out all the anger that’s built up over time. I tried to make it fit, but it didn’t work out.
Well, I didn’t mean it, so it was a little awkward for me to see.
I put ssam in my mouth while listening to the love story of a young man and woman.
I roughly agreed with Mina’s words and chewed on them.
Jinsu and Ssamdo.
Chew thoroughly to aid digestion.
Mina was feverish for a long time.
I guess I got tired soon.
The briquette embers are slowly fading away.
Only after the grill has completely cooled down can I change my shoes.
The smell of meat permeates all over the clothes.
He came out looking like he had eaten meat.
Mina asks me in a voice that is a bit calmer than before.
“Would you like to have a cup of coffee before you go? It’s nearby···”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ll be able to work today. I have an appointment later.”
I answered comfortably without thinking.
‘···”
After saying it, I realized it later.
How dare you pretend to be busy in front of a global star when you’re unemployed.
Did I just seem a little cocky?
I thought about that and took a quick look around.
“···”
Mina stands there blankly with her mouth open, seemingly bewildered.
I guess this is the first time in my life that I’ve been rejected.
Seeing Mina looking so flustered, I tried to make excuses again.
“No, that’s not it. I’m meeting a friend later.”
He tapped his empty wrist with his fingers and bowed his head slightly.
“Ah. No. You must be busy. When Jinsu comes to Korea later, let’s meet up.”
But still, he’s a pro, so he quickly puts his smile back on.
From what Mina said today, she seems like the type to keep things inside.
I hope there is no aftertaste.
He bowed his head once more lightly as if praying and turned his back.
**
As the device ages, the boot time naturally gets longer.
Not the server, but my body.
When I opened my eyes in the morning, I had been lying down for three or four hours.
It took about six hours to wash and get dressed.
Because I was so lazy, it wasn’t easy to come out.
So, while I was out, I made a plan to meet with Gukyeong briefly.
“Wow!”
The shouting could be heard down the hallway.
The players are wrapping up their keyboard cords as if the game has just ended.
So I sat on the hallway chair and waited for Gukyoung.
I was killing time by looking at my phone for a while,
Knock. I felt someone tap my shoulder lightly and turned my head.
“What? You’re here already. As expected from a jobless person. I’m so jealous.”
“Inma. I’m busy too. Didn’t you know that I just turned down an appointment and came to see you? Yes?”
I put my shoulders back and brag about something trivial.
“I’m busy, for nothing. I really want to waste my time like you. Then I’ll have no more wishes.”
“What are you going to do when your time is wasted? Even if you do, you’ll just loaf around and sleep. Oh! You’ll probably smoke a lot.”
“What are you talking about? Where do I have time? I should be playing a game. A game.”
Guk-yeong responds confidently to my sarcasm.
A crazy guy is a crazy guy.
I barely hold back my swearing.
“You… don’t you get tired of playing games like that?”
“It’s not enough. There were so many masterpieces released this year.”
Guk-yeong answers nonchalantly and picks up his bag.
Kookyoung is a game reporter.
Because I have to write reviews, sometimes I play games for a whole week.
No matter how much you like something, when it becomes your job, you naturally start to hate it.
Guk-yeong plays games as a hobby.
I also play games while working.
I was honestly a little jealous of the fact that someone could be so crazy about something.
“But what did you eat? It smells so good.”
“I ate meat.”
“Oh really? I just ate earlier. Then should we go to a cafe?”
“No. There’s a PC room upstairs. Let’s play games.”
“You? Do you have any games to play?”
He squints his eyes and looks at me.
A look of disbelief.
I snorted as I looked at that face.
“Let’s shoot a gun. I’ll show you what I can do.”
My skills have been honed and refined over the years.
I hope you weren’t too surprised when you saw it.
With that thought in mind, I took a step forward.
**
The government couldn’t close its gaping mouth.
“You’re really bad at it.”
It was a line that should have come out of my mouth.
That’s exactly what I was trying to say.
“How did you manage to get over ten thousand rounds… your aim… wow…”
Guk-yeong can’t bring himself to continue speaking and ends the sentence with a sigh.
He lets out a long sigh as if he has lost his country, and fumbles around on the table.
A lighter and a cigarette case are caught in the hands of the state.
“You don’t plan on winning, do you?”
“Well. Isn’t a life that only chases victory too vain? That thought suddenly occurred to me.”
“Oh my. I don’t know if you can even speak… Done. I’m going to go smoke a cigarette.”
“Let me go too.”
I got up from my seat and went to the smoking room.
Inside the smoke-filled booth.
Cigarette smoke gathers in Gukyoung’s mouth.
“Let’s play one more round, then let’s go.”
“Already? Why? Do you have anything to do when you get home?”
“game.”
The answer is brief, and the acting is long.
The fog inside the booth is getting thicker.
“Why are you bored?”
“No. I told you I’m busy too.
To be honest, I was bored, but I tried to be persistent.
If I had known this would happen, I would have chatted with Mina more.
I came here to see this kid for nothing.
He doesn’t show it and only regrets it inside.
**
Words have become seeds.
The seeds planted in this way will sprout, endure the passage of time, and form rings.
It’s because the process is difficult.
Anyway, if you speak, it will eventually become a seed and bear fruit.
therefore.
Words have become seeds.
Looks busy.
As soon as I got home, I turned on the computer.
-We’re screwed. I think the servers are down right now.
I got a call from Sirius in Thailand.
I’ll reply while waiting for it to boot up.
-What? Explain in more detail.
-I don’t know. I think it’s a platform issue.
-Is it definitely a cloud-related problem?
Mint Market operates on the AmazingZone cloud environment.
It is the number one cloud company in the world. It is not number one for nothing. It is not something that can be easily destroyed. Thinking that it might be some kind of manipulation error, I quickly went into the market and checked the app.
So I tried to download the app.
“What? Why are there so many downloads?”
The number of users has increased. And it has increased tremendously.
For a moment, a feeling of insecurity came over me intuitively.
When a startup with limited capital suddenly sees a surge in users.
‘There are cases where people do strange things to save money.’
please.
Hoping that wasn’t the case, I picked up my phone again.
Press the screen to reply.