163 – 163. Is this a spirit…?
When I was living in the middle of a novel, from right after I graduated from high school until right before I was possessed by this damn world, I always had this kind of sentiment about novels.
A novel as a means of leisure is a very unfortunate and strange medium.
The most important function of a means of leisure is to provide fun. However, the novel as a medium is far less effective than other media, such as movies, dramas, cartoons, and animations. Or should I say the immediate effect of interest?
A medium that provides visual stimulation is likely to arouse interest from the audience.
For example, in a manga, from the first page, a magnificent battle is depicted in a powerful drawing style.
If it’s a movie, it’s like capturing the audience’s eyes with an outstanding mise-en-scène that even outsiders can praise.
Or, if such a high-class style is really difficult, just placing a roughly naked woman or a bloody scene first would easily attract a moment’s attention.
However, that is not the case with novels.
No matter how many great writers of the century wrote in a beautiful style, it is just a collection of letters in the eyes of the reader. In itself, it does not arouse stimulation and interest. To get stimulation and interest from a novel, the reader must first voluntarily dive into the sea of letters.
Writing that may or may not be interesting, 5 pages or 10 pages silently.
That was the inconvenient, unfavorable and unfriendly thing about novels compared to other visual media.
That’s why.
Writers who want to write a little try to write the best first sentence in order to reduce the effort of such readers even a little, that is, to get readers interested in their writing as quickly as possible. As if to prove this, the introductory part of the famous masterpiece novel itself is engraved in the memory of many people.
Today, my mother passed away. No maybe yesterday I do not know. – Albert Camus,
This body is that of a cat. No name yet – Natsume Soseki,
A flower has bloomed on every abandoned island. -Kim Hoon,
I lived a life full of shame. -Osamu Dazai, No Longer Human
Do you know the stuffed genius? -Ideal,
All happy families look similar, but each unhappy family has its own reasons. -Lev Tolstoy
The famous and impressive introduction provides an impressive experience to the reader by itself. Previously, it was said that novels lack immediate effect of interest, but really well-written novels were an exception to that rule.
Is that why?
Among the novels coming out these days, there are a lot of cases where such a famous introduction is attached to my novel as if citing a thesis. In the name of homage or parody. As someone who is not a writer, I don’t know exactly why writers make such an attempt, but it wasn’t like I couldn’t guess the reason at all.
To jump on the bandwagon of the popularity of masterpieces. Or out of pure fan spirit for the work.
That’s probably most of the reasons, but on the other hand, I also thought of this. I wonder if borrowing a famous sentence is possible because the feelings the writer wants to convey are in line with the borrowed novel.
It is difficult to create ripples in someone’s mind with just words. But it’s easy to recall feelings you’ve already felt. If you are a reader who has read the masterpiece quoted by the author, you will recall the feelings and memories of that time when you see the quoted sentence.
…… But why am I thinking of these long-winded rumors in my head?
That’s because the situation I’m in right now coincides with the long-winded rumors I’ve talked about before. To put it simply, it was because I came up with the introduction of a novel that fits the current situation perfectly.
The Martian. It’s a science fiction novel that was also made into a movie, and the introduction to the novel was probably like this.
‘It must have been f*cked up.’
‘That’s the conclusion I came to after careful consideration.’
‘I’m f*cked up.’
-Andy Weir,
“Hey bro. Aren’t you being too picky with our employees from earlier? Are you going to report it for s*xual harassment?”
I looked at the cafe manager in front of me, breaking out in a cold sweat.
A cafe manager, but the only corner that looked like a manager was a loosely wrapped brown apron. Unlike the quiet atmosphere inside the cafe, it’s fair to say that the store manager’s clothing is unconventional.
Hair dyed a faded lemon color.
Eyes that exude a menacing atmosphere with dark shadows.
Black tanned skin exposed on the side of a tight-fitting sleeveless top. And numerous tattoos densely covering it.
I expressed it as unconventional earlier, but it might be more appropriate to say that it looks bad. If you express it as a bigot, most people will agree. The stereotype of a bully drawn exaggeratedly in Japanese cartoons, that was the manager’s impression in front of me.
Blonde tanned redneck.
To put it in one word, it is Geumtaeyang, but I wondered if I could define this store manager as Geumtaeyang.
That would be too
“What is it? Why no answer?”
The store manager had an appearance that exactly matched all the aforementioned characteristics, except that the gender was female, not male.
99% Of the time, when I say her gold sun, I mean male bullies, so in this case, it would be a bit odd to define her as her gold sun.
Then what should I call this store manager?
To be called a gyaru, the background was not Japan but Korea. To be called an Iljinnyeo, she was clearly an adult. At first glance, the atmosphere he gave off was similar to that of a merchant, but it was not exactly the same. Whether it was the sense of intimidation that emanated from her, or the decadent atmosphere that seemed to have a philosophical view of life, in any case, it was quite different.
“Why did you suddenly become dumb? Why, do you think our part-timers are easygoing and I’m not? Ok? Say something, say something!”
– Kung!
The store manager pressured me with a careless attitude, as if he had changed his customer service attitude. He said I was flirting with the part-timer.
But I was innocent. Therefore, I was unfair. Everything the store manager said was based on a misunderstanding.
Misunderstanding.
It started about 10 minutes ago.
The map that Arael gave me was pointing to a cafe in Insa-dong, Jongno-gu. A small cafe located in a backwater between the main street and the residential area, slightly away from the Korean tourist street that often comes to mind when thinking of Insa-dong.
It was early in the day, so when I entered the cafe, which had no customers at all, a fresh voice greeted me.
“Welcome!”
The owner of the voice was a female part-timer standing at the counter.
Dark hair like the night sky, skin like white jade. Her appearance, clean without any blemishes, seemed as if she had cut a piece of unexplored nature untouched by human feet and moved it as it was.
That impression wasn’t just about being beautiful or not. In terms of looks alone, Yewon and Haneul were prettier. It’s not like a bean pod, but in fact, the two of them were beautiful enough to be actors or idols in the original world.
And even though the part-timer’s appearance was similar to those two, he didn’t go further than that. Just look at the facial features.
However, the atmosphere it gave off was completely different from the women I’ve seen so far. I can’t express it well in words, but should I say it’s a foreign beauty that doesn’t look like a human being.
“Are you alone? Order a drink, sit where you want, and we’ll bring it to you. Would you like to order?”
In addition to his unique appearance, he even has a sweet voice that sounds like an instrument tuned by a craftsman stitch by stitch.
‘That woman.’
At that moment, I instinctively felt it. The part-timer right in front of me must be the spirit that the angel Arael said, who has transformed into a human and lives in hiding in this world.
“Oh, yes. Therefore… ….”
After ordering a decent signature coffee, I took a seat by the window. The part-time worker carefully grinds her coffee beans without any hint of annoyance from her.
– Dripping. Drooling.
In the quiet cafe, only the sound of coffee beans grinding echoed quietly. The early daylight shines through the slightly dark cafe, creating a dreamy atmosphere.
Soon, the faint scent of coffee began to waft through the store, and before long, a part-timer came to my table with his signature coffee on a tray. It was quite unusual for the clerk to bring drinks to the table.
“Here you are. It is the original coffee of our cafe, the whisper of the spirit.”
That name was confirmed kill. It’s not a cocktail name, it’s a spirit in the coffee she drinks sober, and her whispering naming sense is proof that she is a spirit. I thought so.
“Then have a good time.”
“Hey… ….”
“Yes?”
Stops the clerk who is about to turn around. But the next moment I was speechless. It wasn’t cute reasons like being nervous about having a pretty girl in front of him. I was just worried about how to throw the hwadu of the question.
Yeah, you can’t ask the other person, ‘Are you a spirit?’ It’s not some kind of third-rate romance drama. If I asked like that, it was almost certain that the name of the coffee would be heard as a cheesy work comment, such as “You must be a spirit since the name of the coffee is a spirit’s whisper.”
“Is there anything else you need, sir?”
“So… ….”
But I don’t know anything about spirits. Therefore, it meant that her identity could not be uncovered through indirect questions.
“What do you think of this necklace?”
But I already had physical evidence. Or proof. As the name suggests, it is the proof of the Frost Spirit.
The clerk tilted his head at the blue necklace I was holding. An ordinary person would be taken aback by this out of the blue question, but her attitude was very aloof. That fact seemed to make it even more certain that she was her spirit.
“That is a pretty necklace.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. You are pretty. Very.”
“…… Is that all?”
“Uh… ….”
Contrary to my expectations, however, the clerk’s aloof attitude began to crumble at my repeated questions. The clerk continued her words with a puzzled look on his face.
“That… …. This is a necklace with fine craftsmanship. I don’t think it’s glass, is it processed thin ceramic into a snowflake shape? It has a different quality than the thousands of won souvenirs sold in front of you. I don’t know because I don’t have eyes to see, but is it a luxury brand? Oh, or a handmade piece made by a foreign artisan…… ?”
“……………… Yes?”
I tilted my head this time at the totally out of focus answer.
The clerk’s reply was like a desperate ploy, concocted to avoid offending her customer who was annoying. No, actually, judging from the situation, that was correct.
But.
‘Are you a spirit? But you can’t recognize the proof of the Frost Spirit?’
Sylvie could hear the spirit’s voice, but does it make sense that the same spirit couldn’t do that? But why do you look like you don’t know why?
At that time.
“Are you Eunha?”
“Yes. Manager!”
A woman called the store manager stepped out from behind the screen inside the cafe.
If the clerk in front of you is the epitome of neatness, the manager is the complete opposite, the epitome of decadence. She ordered her clerk with an e-cigarette around her neck instead of a necklace.
“The women’s bathroom on the second floor is a bit dirty. Can I ask you to clean it? Instead, you can take a rest upstairs after cleaning. It’s a weekday morning anyway, so there won’t be many customers.”
“Oh yes!”
It was clear to anyone that it was consideration under the guise of an order. What kind of consideration was the consideration of the store manager who saved the poor part-timer from the truthful customer. As if to prove that fact, the store manager approached me as if crossing over and sat down in the seat across from me.
“I… ….”
“Hey. Brother.”
At the moment I was taken aback by the sudden situation, the manager asked with a cold smile.
“Aren’t you being too picky with our employees? Are you going to report it for s*xual harassment?”
That was the whole story. Again and again, I was innocent and unfair. So, to the manager, it might look like I was flirting with the part-timer, but I never approached with impure intentions.
Haneul said he would kill me if I added more women than this. However, there is no way the store manager could understand my circumstances. Her chilly smile was rapidly falling toward absolute zero even at this moment.
“That is a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?”
At my excuse, the store manager narrowed her eyes and placed her electronic cigarette in her mouth. Smoking in front of her guests. You don’t even consider me a guest.
-Pooh woo woo woo.
The moment I thought, she spat the smoke from her cigarette right in my face. Smoke with an incomprehensible fruity scent passed right through my face.
Anyway, it seemed that the store manager didn’t even treat me as a person, let alone a customer.
“Yes. I never said that I was flirting with that employee with impure intentions-“
“I know.”
“Yes?”
“I know. I’ve only been selling coffee in this alley for 15 years. Can’t you tell me whether this hand is a poured kinky or just trying to ask what? “
“Then why are you doing this to me?”
“I don’t like it.”
I asked again, ‘yes?’ As if the store manager didn’t like my attitude even more, he spat smoke in my face once again.
At that point, I got angry too. Isn’t it too much to treat someone you’ve never met, even to a customer? The clerk who was kind a moment ago is a polar opposite. It was a perfect black and white contrast.
“…… I don’t know what you don’t like. I just wanted to ask you one thing, with no real ill intentions. Just like the manager said.”
“Really? What would my son-in-law want to ask my precious part-timer?”
But I persevered. I had a purpose for coming here. Okay. I have to find the spirit that Arael told me about and get a chance to overcome the upcoming crisis……
“About the spirits?”
“!!”
At that moment, it felt like my heart sank.
What?
How?
How does this woman know that?
“Wow. I hope it’s true? Are you really trash beyond imagination?”
From nob le mt l dot com
Looking at me in bewilderment, the store manager openly expressed his disapproval.
“Looking at what you know about the spirits, you must know that what you wear around your neck is an artifact that imprisoned the spirits. But do you really just exploit what you want while ignoring what the spirit says? What kind of f*cking slave are you? The place where I lived is the Middle Ages, so even if slavery exists, what the hell is a proud 21st-century Korean citizen trying to do?”
“How do you do that-“
“How are you, how are you?”
The store manager spoke in a tone as harsh as his appearance.
“I am a f*cking spirit too. A spirit identical to the one you wear around your neck and treat like a slave.”
“Huh? With that visual?”
“Why. Can’t the spirits dye their hair and tan their skin? Or is it because of the tattoo? Did you think I was a bully with Hongdae disease?”
I asked inadvertently, but the store manager grinned with an attitude that was completely unchanged. She lowered her gaze and yanked the coffee cup that was lying in front of her.
– Knocked up.
“Huh?”
Then she started drinking coffee on her own. All without leaving a single sip. The store manager, who emptied the glass clean, said with a displeased face.
“I don’t know why they came to see me! Looking at your images so far, you are the world’s bastard among bastards. And motherf*cker, when I drink coffee, I froth and fumble. So I have to drink this coffee, can it be any different?”
“No, I sold things to customers as I please-“
“If you are dissatisfied, we will refund you! I don’t want to make a living with the money I received from guests like you! Besides, the purpose of coming here probably wasn’t to drink coffee leisurely. Is not it?”
She nodded because it was the right song. The purpose of my coming here was to meet the spirit that Arael spoke of, in other words, to see the manager in front of me.
‘f*ck. How did this happen?’
In that sense, the current situation was the worst. The meeting with the spirit was also the worst, and before that, the year called the spirit was the worst personality-breaker, the bully. Does this make sense?
“I don’t know why you came here, but if you have something to do, wait until the business is over today. No, stay somewhere else and then come back. Because I don’t want to see your bastard face for even one more second.”
The deadline is 9:00. Having said that, the store manager waved his hand. It was an outright celebration.
However.
“…… f*ck this.”
There is a limit to what one can tolerate.
“What? Seebaal?”
The store manager asked with a puzzled expression. Against that frowning face, I teased my mouth like a rapid-fire cannon.
“Yes f*ck! Hey! Is it really too much to do? They say exploitation or slavery, but I don’t know anything about this necklace!! So I came to ask about the necklace!! They didn’t even explain it properly, and they started swearing at me like a bastard or a f*cking bastard when I first met them, but I don’t think I’m angry!!”
The boiling rage lightly swallowed the rationality and sprang out arbitrarily. However, even as he made fun of her mouth, he felt uncomfortable.
‘What?’
Obviously I was upset. The store manager’s words and actions raised her arrogance.
But as usual, I would have suppressed that anger for a purpose. I came here to ask for the cooperation of the spirit that Arael said, the store manager in front of me.
However.
“I thought this was just an asshole, but was it a very bold asshole? What are you talking about right now?! Uh?!”
“It’s the same for each other! The b*tch who is the manager of the cafe is talking to the customers, but is this a good thing?! Uh?!”
For some reason, I couldn’t control my anger. It felt like I wasn’t myself. It feels like a rational self is watching from the corner of my head as I am getting caught up in anger and making fun of myself. Despite my own words and actions, I felt a strange sense of gap.
‘Why am I doing this?’
Though he thought so calmly, his mouth was constantly arguing with the manager. No, she said that the conflict between her and me did not end with an altercation.
-Tap!!
Her store manager grabbed me by the collar and I grabbed her wrist.
“Let go. Before breaking it.”
“If you can, try it.”
“Do you think I can’t do it?”
“You pretend to be proud of being superhuman. Hey, where I used to live, I went out with skills like yours, and the next day I found myself in a back alley with my head turned! You one-day puppy!”
“What the f*ck, did you live in the world of a non-f*cking mass market? Magic and Aurors are scary, but supernatural powers aren’t, right?”
The atmosphere is absolutely instant. I squeezed the hand that held the manager’s wrist. With the momentum to really break it. He was so angry that he was filled with anger. He was overcome with strange anger.
However.
“Both plates…… Cow?”
Similarly, the store manager, who had been rushing to kill me, suddenly made a startled expression. Her gaze was directed directly into my pupils.
Immediately.
“……………… Uh?”
For the first time, a bewildered exclamation escaped the store manager’s mouth.
….wtf is going down