Chapter 39

"Haaaap!"

Stretched with a bizarre shout. Every joint of my spine screamed and found its place.

Refreshing. Seeing the sunlight coming through the window is quite stinging, morning has broken.

I picked up the phone at the head of the bed.

Opened my eyes even before the alarm rang. Even left a text for Ji-hye to hit me with a morning call at 9 in case I overslept, but there was no need for that.

1 hour and 30 minutes until course registration.

A time with the clouds of war hanging over, but even Mount Geumgang is viewed after eating. To fight a war, must fill up with carbohydrates first for the brain to spin.

"Should I go to the convenience store."

Gotta go and stock up on some instant food like triangle kimbap or hamburgers. Digging through the refrigerator is a luxury for someone living alone.

Roughly picked up and wore a tracksuit, dragged my slippers and came outside.

*Whoosh.*

The wind was quite cool. Still breathable. Soon when fine dust and yellow dust come over from that distant country to the west, a hellscape where you can't walk around without a mask will unfold though. Must enjoy this clean air now.

I trudged and opened the door of the convenience store in front of my house.

*Tinkle-*

"......"

The part-timer sitting at the counter didn't even lift her head. With earphones plugged in, she was absorbed in her smartphone. Seems the idol older brother inside the screen is more important than me, the customer.

'Rather fortunate.'

It's tiring now when female part-timers make a fuss and stare. Indifference is the best service.

I quietly headed to the instant food corner.

"Let's see... what should I eat to get a rumor saying I ate well."

My gaze scanning the shelves sharpened like a hawk's eye.

First, filtering out the lunchbox where that weird older woman is smiling burdensomely saying "It's me!". For some reason, my hand doesn't reach for it.

Instead, the national rule Hyeja lunchbox. As expected, Hyeja older sister doesn't betray. Securely stocking up on a couple of them.

And two rolls of tuna kimbap, one bulgogi hamburger. Swept up carbohydrate bombs.

Course registration is a brain-physical fight so sugar is needed.

"...Did I buy too much."

What I held in my hands overflowed. I'd drop it all if I carried it in my arms.

I went to the counter and poured the items out *clatter*.

"Please calculate. And give me a bag too."

"Ah~ Yes."

The part-timer is still half-hearted. With earphones plugged in, her gaze was fixed on the smartphone screen. That professional spirit of not even checking if I'm a man or a talking gorilla.

*Beep, beep.*

Good. A very pleasant shopping experience.

Received the bag and came outside. Now I should go back and prepare for war.

I avoided the main road and chose a sidewalk where people don't go much. Even while trudging along, I felt the glancing gazes of women coming from the opposite side.

"Hull, did you see?"

"Look at the height... Daebak."

Whispers stabbing behind my back.

'Haa...'

A sigh came out automatically. It's only enjoyable if you receive interest moderately, if it pours ceaselessly like this, an introverted human like me gets his energy sucked out and dries to death.

It was good at first. No, it was fascinating. A situation where women approach saying "Oh my, Older Brother please give me your number" when I'm just walking.

Because it's something unimaginable in the previous world, I smiled stupidly like an idiot and went around spreading my number like a public good saying "Ah, yes! Here!".

Never dreaming that would be the biggest mistake of my life.

What is the result. My Talk window right now is a hellscape unfolding. It's not simply a problem of getting many contacts.

Really going crazy.

But things like this are cute. The real problem is 'Gifticon Bombing'.

This is truly a torture that drives people crazy.

If it was just scraps of text I'd coolly read-chew, but these damn women keep sending gifts. Coffee coupons, chicken, cake... even department store gift certificates or expensive perfumes.

If I accept this I feel uncomfortable worrying they'll call me an 'Eat-and-run Man' later, and declining them one by one is another labor.

An exquisite psychological warfare that makes it so I can neither accept nor ignore from the start.

Moreover, if I just close my eyes and accept it, the moment I send one greeting of thanks, it's obvious a follow-up offensive like "Then let's have a meal together!" will come right in.

In the end, not touching it is the best policy.

This is what I experienced less than a month after coming to the reversed world. In that short time I realized to the bone.

'Humans are animals of adaptation.'

So the conclusion I reached recently was, an iron wall.

Even letting slide the one or two I gave my number to like a pushover at the beginning, no mercy after that.

Gym people, department classmates, and family. Excluding exactly these essential personnel, I already nailed down blocks on all the annoying numbers long ago.

Street hunting? Now I even have a response manual.

"Sorry. I have a girlfriend. (None)"

"I don't have a phone. (Have one)"

"I am gay. (?)"

I'm currently brushing them off giving all sorts of excuses.

Managing a fish tank (leading them on)? That's something diligent and quick-witted bastards do. A lazy homebody like me finds even changing the water in the fish tank annoying.

I pulled my hat down deeper and hurried my steps.

Ah, right. There is something harder to reject than gifticon bombing.

Online I can just read-chew or block. Because if I just turn off the screen they disappear from my eyes.

But reality (Offline) is different. There's no logout here, and no block button.

Especially, even more so when bumping into a person I only know by face. This is like, a feeling of forcibly watching a tutorial video without a skip button.

"Uh? Older Brother?"

A familiar voice heard from behind my back. I instinctively stiffened my shoulders. Hoping it wasn't an acquaintance, I slowly turned my head.

Under the dazzling morning sunlight, one silhouette was standing.

A long ponytail swaying as if she just finished running. A smooth and firm body without any flab revealed over tight sportswear. A flush flushed pink with the heat after exercise and beads of sweat forming.

"......"

Kang Yu-ri. The high schooler from the gym who only registered not long ago and isn't showing up.

A bit awkward indeed. Registered for her for free but she hasn't even shown the tip of her nose. But well, not like I committed a sin. Can't go if you're busy I guess.

Yu-ri opened her eyes round, then immediately brightened her face with gladness and hopped over.

"Daebak! Jin-hyuk Older Brother! What are you doing here?"

I replied calmly.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you."

The most indifferent greeting in the world. But Yu-ri didn't even care about my attitude, and looked up at me with eyes full of curiosity.

"Older Brother live near here? Wow, I'm just up ahead too!"

Pondered for about 0.1 seconds whether I should lie saying I live in another neighborhood here.

But look at my state. Three-striped slippers, track pants with popped knees, convenience store bag in hand. A sight advertising 'I am a resident of this neighborhood' no matter who looks.

Lying is annoying. I just decided to coolly admit it.

"Uh... mm... Right. I live near here."

"Hull! Really?!"

Yu-ri hopped in place and rejoiced. Is that something to be that happy about. Tension is high from the morning.

"Then when are you coming to the gym? The Director is always singing a song asking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠when Older Brother is coming!"

"Well. Busy."

I replied indifferently and slyly tried to take a step. If I'm caught here longer the hamburger I heated up beforehand will get cold.

"What are you doing?"

"Ah, me? Morning jogging! Going to loosen my body a bit before classes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠start."

"Ah, yeah. Working hard. Keep up the good work. I'm going."

As soon as the punk's answer ended I nodded and turned my body. Since I said everything I had to say, I go.

But an urgent shout was heard from behind my back.

"Uh? Older Brother! Wait a minute!"

The punk ran over and blocked my front.

"But Older Brother, why don't you look at your Talk?"

"...Huh?"

"I sent Older Brother so many Talks! The 1 hasn't disappeared for days! You didn't block me right?"

Ah. Stung.

Actually I didn't go as far as blocking. Just turned off notifications and thoroughly neglected it.

True it got buried, but I rarely look at Talk in the first place. The chat room I always check is exactly one across the entire universe.

Everything else besides this is all noise. Younger sister Seol Ji-hye sends texts every day so I already turned off notifications, and Older Sister barely contacts once every few weeks anyway. In the end my phone is practically a filial piety phone exclusively for Mom.

So obvious Yu-ri's Talk would be buried somewhere underground there along with gifticon spams too.

But telling the truth gets tiring. I shamelessly replied without changing a single facial expression.

"Ah... I don't really do Talk originally. Since I don't touch my phone much."

"Eh? Really? In this world these days?"

"Yeah. Because I have analog sensibility. I'll check it later."

I roughly waved my hand towards Yu-ri who was sending suspicious glances and went my way.

The kid is nice, but hard to match her tension.

"See you at the gym later! Make sure to come!"

An energetic shout was heard from behind my back, but I hurried my steps pretending not to hear.

I trudged towards the studio apartment dangling the black bag.