Cheongchung Nonsan, a vinyl house.
There, I was steadily harvesting strawberries with a stubborn spirit.
“If Do-hee hadn’t come, what would I have done? I’m picking so well, right, Senior?”
And there was Kim Seo-yoon, beaming with a smile as red and bright as a strawberry.
“Ah, exactly! Do-hee is totally the farmer’s daughter, isn’t she?”
“Hahaha, right? If I weren’t Seo-yoon Unni, I wouldn’t have known this kind of fun, hahaha.”
“Oh wow, look at the determination in her eyes.”
I followed Kim Seo-yoon to a place called ‘Job Experience Life’ where we were promoting.
It was a YouTube channel with 4.5 million subscribers, where I had appeared during the Seven days, working part-time in a Japanese restaurant.
After mentally cursing at Kim Seo-yoon with my eyes, I took a deep breath and harvested strawberries the way the farm chairman showed me.
Still, as I picked and sorted pretty, plump strawberries one by one to fill the box, it felt somewhat healing.
Is this why everyone has fantasies about returning to farming?
I’ll take this box home as payment today. Na-eun Unni and Woo-ah Unni will surely like it.
‘Oh, this strawberry is really pretty.’
Carefully picking it like handling a baby, I gently placed my strawberry in the box.
“Huh? This one is really pretty.”
A dirty, rough hand approached that pure territory.
“Chairman! Can I have one to eat?”
“Oh, of course~”
And Kim Seo-yoon hummed.
“I love strawberries. I love strawberries. Good, good? Good good good!”
Really, Kim Seo-yoon’s bright smile.
I want to stain myself red, just like that strawberry bursting with juicy, bright-red juice when bitten.
“Is Do-hee enjoying it too?”
“…Oh wow, it doesn’t seem so good.”
*
A day flew by in a daze.
When I got back to the lodging, it was already well past dinner time.
“What’s this, you brought strawberries~?”
I handed the strawberries to Na-eun Unni who came out to the entrance.
“Yup, Seo-yoon Unni and I picked them ourselves.”
I walked straight into my room.
Even though I had briefly napped in the car, my eyes still felt heavy.
All I wanted was to wash up and lie down out of exhaustion.
I had a schedule for tomorrow, so I had to sleep early anyway…
Was Seo-yoon Unni thinking the same? I could already hear the sound of a shower coming from the living room bathroom.
I naturally opened the door to the main room where Woo-ah Unni and Chiyo Unni were.
Both were cozily cuddled up on the bed in their pajamas.
“Our baby is here~?”
I nodded.
Luckily, there were two bathrooms in the place, so I wouldn’t have to wait.
Since there’s a bathroom in this main room…
But suddenly, Chiyo Unni jumped out of bed and dashed to the bathroom.
“Hehe, it’s my turn now!”
I glanced at the locked bathroom door for a moment and quietly walked back to the room.
Bang.
The door slammed shut.
“Do-hee-chan… It was just a joke…”
For a while, the older sisters were cautious in their dealings.
*
Sinchon.
An area surrounded by seven universities: Yonsei, Ewha Womans University, Sogang, Hongik, Myongji, Kyunghee, and Chukye Arts.
In this trendy street known as Sinchon Shopping District, the vibe is so upscale that it draws in many college students.
Naturally, this department store was also famous as a date spot.
And here’s a college couple.
“You look good with your boyfriend, right? This one’s better than the outfit from earlier.”
This couple was enjoying window shopping around the department store.
“Really? I’m not so sure.”
After wandering around for a while, the girl felt her stomach rumble.
‘What time is it?’
She discreetly took out her phone and realized it was already past 2 PM.
“Aren’t you hungry, Oppa?”
“Me? Yeah, I am.”
“Then let’s go grab some lunch.”
“Shall we? Where do you want to eat? The food hall up top?”
“No, I saw a place on the way here. Let’s go there.”
With that, she took his hand and led him out of the department store.
“Brr, it’s cold.”
“Right? It’s already December.”
As they exited the department store, the U-Plex Plaza was bustling with crowds despite the chill.
Of course, music was echoing throughout the plaza.
The girl began to hum along to Ailee’s “[Midnight].”
“This song is nice. Who sang it?”
She playfully poked at him.
“Are you pretending not to know, or do you really not know?”
“What’s that? Idol? I really genuinely don’t know.”
“Huh? You think I didn’t see your viewing history? I saw you watching Hana Kwon’s fancam. You like her because she has bigger breasts than me?”
“Ji-hyun, that’s not it. I just accidentally clicked on a link my friend sent me!”
“Yeah, right.”
“Oh come on.”
While they bantered, they headed toward a restaurant.
As she looked around, her gaze caught a well-set piano occupying a spot in the central plaza.
It didn’t seem out of place at all.
If you were to mention major busking areas in Seoul, Hongdae would be the first, followed by Sinchon, Konkuk University, and Han River Park.
Given that Sinchon Shopping Center’s central plaza is considered one of the best streets in Gangbuk, it was one of the most famous busking streets.
‘Did someone forget to clear the piano?’
It was simply assumed that someone would remove it later, probably to take it away by truck.
At that moment, a girl with long hair wearing a black coat and clacking with her simple shoes sat down.
Although her face was hidden by a mask, the allure of her lower face had infinite possibilities.
The vibe she gave off screamed “beauty.”
It’s no surprise; a small head and tall stature isn’t exactly the usual ratio.
And those slightly revealed contours?
On a side note, the girl sitting in front of the piano put down the hot pack she was tapping in her hands and placed her fingers on the ivory keys.
“Must be cold, huh.”
“Huh? What’s cold?”
The girl pointed to the piano, directing her boyfriend’s attention.
She touched the keys and, realizing how cold they were, quickly jerked her hands away, then rubbed the keys with the hot pack.
“Oh, busking? In this weather, it’s gotta be freezing.”
Somehow, her silly appearance made a smile creep onto my face, and a few passersby stopped to watch the girl.
“Aren’t you gonna eat?”
Despite her boyfriend’s urging, the girl stood still on the street.
“Hang on, let me listen a little longer.”
And after waiting a few seconds, the girl placed her hands back on the keys.
A very familiar melody flowed from her light gestures.
A children’s song beloved by everyone around the world.
“What’s this? Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?”
The girl ignored her boyfriend’s deflated voice.
Even though she wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about classical music, she knew this piece, despite starting simply, would become more elaborate later on.
If she had been well-versed in classical, she would’ve praised it, saying it was like an aria from an opera just from the prelude.
In any case, after the initial sparkling and cute performance ended, a lavish variation resembling a shooting star began.
Mozart’s signature cheerful brightness rang out.
But still, that was all there was.
Unlike the girl filming the video with her phone, a few people who had been standing still began to drift away one by one.
In fact, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” might have been an unsuitable choice for busking, considering how busy modern people are with looking around.
Nevertheless, the girl persistently played through the minor parts and the much slower sections, probably the adagio.
Along with the few remaining listeners who stayed like her, she received a timid round of applause.
Then slightly bowing, she immediately began playing a new song.
At that moment, a low and somber prelude started to play.
“Oh, this one.”
The prelude of a piece just as famous as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
Her boyfriend chimed in, trying to show off.
“This is that one, right? The Phantom of the Opera theme.”
The girl fell back into playing without having time to respond.
Fast wrist and finger movements were visually striking.
Sliding across the dramatic and heroic-sounding keys, almost like glissando.
That short prelude alone filled the square with a mysterious atmosphere.
And then, the story continued.
The rapid notes weren’t just fast but adorned with embellishments that were extravagantly intricate.
The majestic and lively piano melodies flowed as if they were truly singing, just like from a real opera piece.
A dark atmosphere paired with a passionate melody.
At a glance, the visual elements of the glamorous performance seemed difficult.
Just as that enchanting sensation reflected in real-time with people gradually gathering.
For a moment, wrapped up in the performance…
The girl’s fingers slammed down on the keys, finishing the piece.
As the crowd began to swell, the girl clapped along, lost in thoughts.
“I wonder if I should go home and watch Phantom of the Opera after such a long time.”
It left an aftertaste due to the brief 2-3 minutes of the performance.
Yet, unfazed by the bittersweet feeling, the girl remained seated.
“Is she a nearby art school student…? Or a high schooler? But she doesn’t seem like an average high schooler.”
Curiosity arose as the girl placed her left hand on the keys, signaling the start of another piece.
On the left side of the piano, the bass notes thumped with intensity.
However, there was a stark difference from the previous performance.
“Do you know what song this is?”
“Not sure.”
Unlike the earlier pieces where one could recognize the song from just the intro, this one was a complete mystery.
Yet, the intro had a distinct and grand personality just as notable as the previous songs.
As the right hand joined, that personality became even more evident.
Her fingers dancing across the keys looked as if a person was either dancing or walking elegantly and confidently.
The melody seemed to evoke those same images.
“If I had heard it even once, I think I’d remember…”
However, she couldn’t recall the song even until it ended.
Before long, the girl rose from the piano chair.
She bowed in response to the countless applause.
Then, she pointed to her back, somewhere that seemed sore.
Naturally, the crowd’s gaze followed the tip of her finger.
On the digital billboard at U-Flex, Sinchon Department Store,
An advertisement that had changed without anyone noticing was displayed against a black screen.
[Debonair, As fickle as fortune]
Wondering what that was, I looked back at the girl.
She was taking off her mask.
At a glance, I instantly recognized who she was.
Even with the mask on, her beauty was undeniable due to the aura and contours she radiated.
Simultaneously, the surrounding crowd grew raucous.
The girl waved dramatically in greeting and, with a man who seemed like her manager, dashed toward the road to get into a car.
And over there, the boyfriend who claimed he didn’t know much about idols was freaking out.
“Wow, jackpot, Do-hee Lee… Wow, she’s seriously gorgeous. Oh my god, is this real? No way, seriously.”
“Dude, shut up.”
“Oh right.”
