All Day with the Big, Beautiful Neighbor!?
"Ugh——"
I got out of bed and stretched. Morning sunlight poured in through the window. The rural air was definitely different from the city's—clear and refreshing.
"Alright, time to get to work?"
Yesterday had been a whirlwind of moving, cleaning, and exploring the village, so I'd forgotten, but starting today, it was time to work as an emoticon artist. Yeoreum was even more financially precarious than Han Minseo. Either way, I had to make money.
From Yeoreum's memories, being an emoticon artist might seem free and easy at first glance, but the reality was far from it. For starters, Yeoreum wasn't a hit creator. She only had modest popularity on one community site. So when freelance gigs came in, I had to snag them quick and deliver fast. Otherwise? They'd go to someone else. And so would the money.
Finally, when there were no gigs, taking personal commissions was the way to scrape together any income.
I pulled the laptop from my bag and set it on the table. I hit the power button and waited for it to boot. The login screen appeared, so I entered the password. The desktop loaded, and I clicked the Wi-Fi icon in the bottom-right tray.
"Huh?"
That's when I realized it. Not a single Wi-Fi signal in sight.
"Oh... right. This is the countryside."
In the city, Wi-Fi was everywhere—cafes, public spots, even the neighbor's network. But not here. This was the sticks.
"Should I turn on the hotspot?"
I checked my smartphone's data usage. This month's remaining data: barely 500MB. Yeoreum was on a cheap plan with only 3GB a month. It was plenty with constant Wi-Fi, but in this setup? Laughably insufficient. Turn on the hotspot, and it'd burn through in no time. Emoticon files were hefty. A few emails or messenger pings, and it'd be gone.
"This is bad..."
I closed the laptop. No internet, no work. No work, no income. No income...
"I'm gonna starve to death at this rate."
Despair washed over me. The coin-operated studio was cramped and stuffy, but at least the internet was solid.
Worse, there was an ongoing freelance job. Plenty of time before deadline, sure, but revisions or add-ons could pop up anytime.
I paced the room. There had to be a way. Then it hit me—yesterday.
"Kim Bom..."
She'd kindly shown me around the village, given me rice cakes to tide me over, even swapped contacts.
But... is it okay to ask a total stranger I just met yesterday for a favor like this?
Rural hospitality was a thing, but this felt too brazen. Asking if she knew a good way to get internet? Straight-up nuisance.
Utterly shameless. But I had no other options. She was the only person I knew in this village. If she said no, I'd figure something else out. It'd just be way harder without her help.
I opened the messaging app on my phone and found Kim Bom's name, opening the chat.
What to say? I stared at the blank screen, agonizing for over ten minutes.
I'd drafted and deleted a bunch. Too stiff. Too demanding. Too rude. Finally, this polite-yet-natural version.
A bit long, but best I could do. Hit send.
And right away—read receipt.
"Huh?"
I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Definitely read. In under a second.
How'd she read it that fast?
No way she was staring at the screen waiting for my message— that was pure self-consciousness. Just lucky timing.
Reply in under a minute. Maybe she was the type who checked messages constantly.
Wait, scooter's coming to pick me up?
Shocked again. Her enthusiasm was beyond imagination, just like yesterday. Honestly, Yeoreum's situation was way worse than Han Minseo's—orphan, heart condition, unstable income, now a rural house without internet. Her help was like rain in a drought.
I smiled reading the messages. "She's really nice."
…………
About ten minutes later, an electric motor hummed outside the gate. Peeking out, there was Kim Bom.
She said scooter...
I'd pictured a small motorcycle, but no. It was a four-wheeled electric scooter. The seat even had a backrest—like a tiny chair on wheels. But only one seat.
I opened the gate, and Kim Bom waved with a beaming smile. "Yeoreum! Made it quick, right?"
"Y-yeah. Super fast. Thank you."
"Walking would've taken at least an hour or two each way. It's pretty far. Hop on!"
One to two hours on foot one way?
That meant four hours round trip just for a PC bang or cafe. I'd heard you couldn't survive in the countryside without a vehicle—now it hit home.
"Um, how do I ride? There's only one seat."
She patted the front of the seat—right between her legs. "Sit here."
"P-pardon?"
Sitting there meant burying into Kim Bom's human cushion. But no other spot. One seat, already half-occupied.
No choice...
I resigned quick, carefully squeezing my small body between her legs, perching on the seat's front edge—
Oh, ohhh, this is... this is...!
Her body heat radiated across my back. The soft, round, marshmallow-like orbs weighed down from above. Their identity? Crystal clear.
Don't think about it. Don't think about it...
"Hold on tight. Here we go?" Her breath brushed my ear. We were closer than most couples.
"Ah. Y-yeah..."
My face burned. Probably beet red. Vroom—the scooter started slow. Our bizarre town trip with Kim Bom began.
…………
The scooter reached the town center. Way better than Huhaeri Village—shops lined the streets, people milling about. Still no match for the city, but at least traces of civilization.
Fi-nally...
Freed from her massive chest, I sighed in relief. Well, "freed" might be strong. Anyway.
Yeoreum looked like a sickly pretty boy from a shoujo manga. But a guy's still a guy. Fully equipped and functional. Staying calm with those orbs jiggling overhead? Near impossible.
"That building's the telecom agency," Kim Bom pointed across the street.
Inside, AC cooled the sweat. A staffer stood from the counter.
"Hello. Here for new internet installation."
"Sure. What's the address?"
I explained: new to Huhaeri Village, no internet. It's my job, so urgent.
"Uh... Huhaeri?"
He typed, face growing troubled. "Sorry, but it's remote—needs construction. Summer backlog... even rushed, at least a month."
"A... a month?"
Fucked.
That was all my brain supplied. No internet for a month meant no work. No gigs, no commissions—nothing.
"Any other way? It's really urgent..."
"Sorry. We'd love to rush it, but..."
He looked pained. Yelling at him wouldn't help. Pointless.
"Got it. I'll apply anyway."
Forms done, we left. Hot sun hit my face, but my head burned hotter.
Oh man... what now?
"Yeoreum? You okay?" Kim Bom's voice snapped me up.
"Ah, yeah. Just longer than expected."
"Yeah. A month minimum's too much. Hey... how about this?"
"Huh?"
She paused, then continued. "Work at my house and shop. Wi-Fi's already set up."
"Uh, that..."
"Shop when I'm open, house otherwise. Perfect, right? We can be together all day!"
Her smile brightened with every word, peaking at "all day together." I got she was happy, but why? A chill sweat trickled down my spine for no reason.