A Trip to the Phone Store

Well, it wasn't as if she was going to call right away.

Aquamarine would need to punch a few numbers into her calculator first, run the figures, weigh the angles. This was not the kind of thing you decided overnight and dialed someone up about.

I knew that!

So why couldn't I put the damn phone down?

Even when I was lying around like this, taking it easy, I was a sprawl-and-stare-at-the-ceiling kind of person — not a stare-at-my-phone kind of person!

The streamer on the screen was holding forth with great passion, insisting she had come out to the Han River Park I'd named in my broadcast.

Unni, my ass.

Just looking at her, she had a good ten years on me. Did this woman have no shame?

Anyway. I was watching a video on my phone.

Not that I understood the appeal. Videos were meant for a television, not this tiny little screen. Kabe would get completely absorbed in KidsTube or whatever it was called the second you handed her a phone, but I just didn't get it.

Lying there staring at the thing was making my eyes hurt, too. Maybe it was because I was holding it vertically.

I flipped it sideways. The screen didn't rotate.

What? Why is it doing that?

Was it broken?

No matter how many times I turned the phone, the screen stayed locked in portrait. It refused to go landscape.

"Is this thing broken?"

"Mama, what's wong?"

"When did you wake up, sweetheart?"

"Jus' now."

"You woke up because Mama was being grumpy, huh. Sorry."

"Nuh-uh, Mama. Is the phone bwoken?"

"Yeah, I think so."

The screen wouldn't flip. I kept spinning the phone this way and that, and Kabe held out her hand.

"Mama, lemme see."

"Hm?"

"I know why. Lemme see."

"You do?"

I handed her the phone, and Kabe dragged her finger down the screen with the easy familiarity of someone who had done this a hundred times. A tray of buttons slid down after it.

Right. The settings panel. I knew that much, at least.

"Mama, lookit. If this is off, the screen won't turn."

The button with the little arrows on either side of a phone icon was dark. Kabe tapped it once, and it lit up.

"Watch, watch."

She flicked the panel away, then spun the phone sideways, and—

"Whoa."

The screen rotated.

Unbelievable.

"Mama, I'm smawt!"

No, seriously — how did Kabe know something I didn't?

I was pretty sure I had done that before, too. So why hadn't I remembered?

Have I been hanging around idiots so long I'm turning into one myself?

Anyway. That wasn't the point.

"That's my girl!"

I pulled her into a hug right there on the bed and nuzzled my cheek against hers.

"Keheh — Mama, that tickles!"

I was nuzzling her and tickling her and fully intending to while away the morning in bed, lazy and unhurried, when a sharp crack put an end to all of that.

"Well. It's broken."

In the process of rolling around with Kabe in my arms, the phone had slipped my grip and slammed into the bedroom door. The sound alone had been wrong, and sure enough, a fat crack now ran across the screen.

If I were the only one using it, I wouldn't have cared. The display still worked, after all.

But this wasn't just my phone. Kabe used it too. A crack that big, and if she cut her hand on it while playing around — no. I looked up the repair cost for my model and immediately thought better of it.

Way too expensive.

The phone was five years old anyway. Buying a new one would be cheaper.

All right. Today's agenda: decided.

I needed a new phone, and it was about time I got one for Sohee too. Communication was already a problem when we couldn't reach her, and whenever Dusick or Kabe or I had a phone in our hands, Sohee would stare at it with this openly envious look that had been sitting on my conscience for a while.

Good. Decision made. Time to move.

About ten minutes after I hung up, Sohee and Dusick walked in together.

"Have you called for me, Unni?"

"Yeah. But Sohee — can you please do something about the way you talk? It's a lot."

"Howev—"

"Want me to stop talking to you?"

"Understood. I shall amen—...d it."

Sohee's face went pink with embarrassment, and I couldn't help smiling. Still, the speech really did need work. We weren't filming a historical drama, and she stood out way too much.

"I don't care what you say to enemies in a fight. But when it's just us, the old-timey stuff is a bit much."

"I shall amen—...d it, Unni."

"Good. Give it a real try. If you kick the habit completely, I'll grant you one wish. Whatever you want."

"Do you truly... mean it?"

Sohee's whole face lit up.

Uh. Did I just say something I'm going to regret?

But the words were already out. I couldn't take them back now.

"Yeah. I promise."

"I understandeth!"

"That's already a fail."

"Th-this instance is null and voi—...d!"

I left Kabe with Dusick, who had wanted to come along, and headed out with Sohee.

"Unni, are we going to purchase a mobile pho—...ne?"

"Yeah. Mine's wrecked, and you need one too."

"Is that so—...!? I am to receive a mobile phone as well—...?!"

"If you want to stay in touch with me, you're going to need one, right?"

"That is so—...!"

If I'd known she'd be this happy, I would have bought her one ages ago.

Watching Sohee clap her hands like a little kid, I felt my own mood lift right along with hers. I was so used to seeing her in a hanbok that the jeans, the blouse, the jacket, and the hair swept up off her neck didn't look awkward so much as... well. She just looked like a young woman.

Not that I was one to talk.

I glanced around as we walked. Where to buy a phone wasn't much of a question — you couldn't go three storefronts in this city without hitting a carrier shop. And since Sohee had no legal identity, she couldn't get a line in her own name. I'd have to set her up with a company phone.

Right. SBT, KOT, UOT...

Which one had I been using? Ah. SBT.

Might as well stick with them, then...?

If I could handle everything in one place, even better. I steered us into the first shop I saw that had all three carrier logos clustered over the door.

"Welcome in!"

The male staff bellowed their greeting the instant we crossed the threshold. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Right this way! Can I get you some coffee?"

Sohee and I sat down side by side in the chairs he offered. I asked for coffee; Sohee asked for green tea. A moment later the employee set both cups down and took the seat across from us.

"New line, number port, or just a device upgrade?"

"Uh... I can't do a number port. I really can't have my number changing..."

It wasn't even a number I'd had for that long. I'd gotten it when I started living as Yoo Yeonwoo. If it changed again, I'd have to go around telling everyone the new ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one, and the mere thought of that hassle was exhausting.

A faint, knowing little smile crossed the employee's face.

"Number port just means you switch carriers. You keep the same number. Which carrier are you with now?"

"Uh... SBT...?"

"Got it. You don't have to stay with SBT, though, right?"

Well... no? Not really...

"Yeah, I mean... switching would be fine..."

"Any model in mind?"

"Not really. Could you recommend something? Oh — I need a big screen. My daughter watches KidsTube on it all the time. Sohee, what about you?"

"I-I..."

Sohee looked thoroughly overwhelmed. Fair enough. This was her first time in a place like this.

I reached under the table ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and gave her hand a firm squeeze. She squeezed back and offered me a small, shaky smile.

"I-I shall have the same as Unni...!"

"In that case, how about these?"

He lined up a few phones in front of me. None of them looked any bigger than the one I already had.

"Do you have anything with a larger screen than this?"

I set my original phone — the one with the spectacular crack — on the table. He picked it up, turned it over a few times, and muttered to himself, Ah, this one.

"This is a pretty old model, isn't it?"

"Yeah, about five years."

Back then I'd just gotten a SIM card — USIM, or whatever they called it — and slotted it into the phone I already had, so the device itself had some miles on it.

"Not one for upgrading, I see. Well, we'll get you set up with a great plan today."

"Sure..."

Like I'm going to fall for a sales pitch.

I used to be a salesperson. Different product, sure, but I had been in this game long enough that no phone-store routine in the world was going to take me for a ride. I was a professional. I'd cut my teeth on this stuff.

"So if you go with this model, it's a thirty-six-month installment — but you only pay for twenty-four months, and if you come back to our store after that, we waive the remaining balance entirely. Plus, if you trade in your old phone, we'll knock another hundred thousand won off."

"Ohh, you can do that...?"

The model I'd picked was a PinePhone, made by a company called Pineapple. The latest was the PinePhone 18, but the one he'd steered me toward was the 16 — and among those, the Max Pro, the one with the biggest screen. Best value for the money, he said.

"PinePhone 16 Max Pro..."

It even sounded impressive. Two years old, but apparently it still outperformed a lot of newer phones, and on top of that the store would throw in some kind of pre-agreement discount that took fifteen percent off the monthly bill.

Thirty-six-month installment was a little long, but I'd only actually pay for twenty-four, and the store would eat the last twelve. That had to be a loss for them, so they asked me to add just one extra service — less than ten thousand won a month. I said sure.

A person shouldn't only take. You had to give a little too.

"Sohee, you like it?"

Sohee was turning the phone box over in her hands, staring at the picture on it like it might vanish. The employee had pulled out a display model of the same phone, and she kept picking it up, putting it down, flipping it open and shut, utterly absorbed. A flush had risen in her cheeks. She looked thoroughly delighted.

"Y-yes! Sharing the same model as Unni makes it all the more wonderf—...ul!"

She really did like it.

Watching her, I felt my own mood climb another notch.

"Ah, ma'am? One more thing."

"Yes, yes, go ahead."

I was busy signing the contract. Sohee was peeking over my shoulder at the paperwork. The company line had to be opened by the CEO, which meant I was the one filling everything out either way.

"You mentioned you have a daughter?"

"That's right."

"Aish. Even with a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠big phone screen, it's still only this size. You've got to worry about a little one's eyesight."

"That's true."

He wasn't wrong. Did this guy have kids of his own? He sure seemed to understand a parent's heart.

"So here's the thing — we recently unboxed a tablet at the store. Just opened the box, that's all. For an extra thirty-three hundred won a month, we'll throw the tablet in."

"Really?"

If they'd only opened the box, it was basically new.

That actually sounded pretty good.

"Then I'll take that t—"

"I knew this would happen. Boss. Stop. Halt right there."

Dusick's voice came from behind us so suddenly that Sohee and I both jumped and spun around.

There she stood in her transformed form, holding Kabe's hand, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠breathing hard. I sat there trying to figure out what, exactly, had gone wrong.

"Kabe. Go to your mom."

Dusick didn't even wait for me to say anything. She sent Kabe over, and I scooped her up onto my lap, fished a piece of candy out of the basket on the table, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth.

"Sohee, give us a second."

"Uh. O-okay."

Sohee surrendered her seat without the faintest idea why and hovered awkwardly behind me, then started poking Kabe's cheeks, playing with her.

"The more I look, the more she resembles Unni exactl—...y..."

"Well, she is my daughter."

Meanwhile, Dusick had turned to the employee.

"Sir. Void this entire contract and start over with me. I'm her agent."

Dusick's transformed form was, to anyone seeing it for the first time, intimidation given flesh. She had a good head of height on me — and I was already 174 centimeters — with easily twice my bulk, a shaved scalp, and cheekbones that did not mess around. Not so much a masculine impression as a straight-up gangster impression.

And this person had just called me Boss, demanded the contract be shredded, and announced they would be renegotiating from scratch. The employee's face had gone the color of old paper.

"From the top. This is a commitment discount, yes?"

"Y-yes, that's correct..."

"I can guess why you put the 16 in front of her. Don't try anything cute. Bring out the 18. That's for our Boss, so I want the highest storage they've got."

"C-color...?"

Wow. He was actually stammering. I almost felt bad for him.

"There's a signature color this time, isn't there? There should be. Is there?"

"Bl-blue, you mean. Y-yes! There is!"

The employee waved a hand, and a woman behind the counter hurriedly picked up a phone. I caught her asking in a tiny voice whether they had the Signature Blue 1TB in stock, and decided it was none of my business.

"And what's the official subsidy?"

"That's... a little over two hundred thousand won..."

"Is that so. And if we port the number, how much extra subsidy does that unlock?"

"We're an official dealer, so there's no additional—"

"Oh, come on. Don't give me that. Since when does an official dealer hang all three carrier logos over the door?"

"We can match the official subsidy on top..."

"And there's a dealer subsidy too, isn't there?"

"That's..."

Maybe half an hour later, Sohee and I were walking down the street carrying shopping bags stuffed with PinePhone 18 Max Pros, plus the freebies: cases, tempered glass, a power bank, a wireless charger, and the barely-unboxed tablet.

"Dusick."

"Yes."

"How do you know all that?"

It was genuinely astonishing. Even after she'd explained it, I still couldn't quite follow, but according to Dusick, the amount that shop had been about to peel off Sohee and me combined came to roughly two million won.

I was pretty angry about that, honestly.

But more than the anger, I was just amazed that Dusick knew all of it.

"I've always liked this kind of gadget. I upgrade often. I was actually planning to come with you today — but I figured the Boss ought to experience it for herself at least once."

"Well, that's..."

"Except you got taken for so much more than I expected — more than I even imagined — that I couldn't just sit there and watch."

"That so..."

More than she'd even imagined, huh.

Aish. That stung the pride a little.

"Sohee, you like yours?"

She'd been quiet for a while. She had pulled the phone box out of her shopping bag and was turning it over and over in her hands.

"I am simply astonished that this tiny machine can recognize my face..."

"They didn't have anything like this in your time, huh?"

If something like this had existed in the Joseon era, that really would have been a miracle.

"Of course not. The world advances so very quickly..."

Most people wouldn't call five hundred years "quickly." Then again, maybe that was just how long she had been gone.

"Here. This one's Kabe's."

I pulled the tablet out of my shopping bag and set it in front of Kabe.

"And this one's Bedel's."

Sohee pulled the other tablet from her bag and set it in front of Bedel.

"I bought two so you wouldn't fight over it. Don't break them, and play nice. Got it?"

"Okay, Mama!"

They were very good at answering, at least.

"All right, go play! This is grown-up time now!"

"Yay!"

Wow, though. It really was incredible.

It recognized my face. If it saw my face, it unlocked. If it saw anyone else's, it stayed locked.

My old phone had fingerprint unlock, but I got tired of sticking my finger on it every time, so I'd just left it unlocked. A swipe and you were on the home screen. This one, you just looked at it. So convenient.

"Dusick."

"Yes, Unni."

"How do I change the wallpaper? I want to put a picture of Kabe on it."

"Ah, that. You do it like this..."

The problem was that this phone was so different from my old one that even changing the wallpaper felt like learning a new language.

"Unni, please beho—...ld this. There is a thing called a camera, and it can..."

Watching what Sohee was showing me, I had to admit — the march of technology really was something. My old phone had taken pictures, sure, but this was... whoa.

Well. In that case, we had to take one.

"Okay, everybody get over here."

Me in the middle.

Sohee on the right.

Dusick on the left.

"On three. One, two, three!"

Click.

The screen filled with the three of us. Me, blank-faced and a little cold. Sohee, still slightly bewildered, not quite sure what was happening. Dusick, grinning at full wattage, throwing up a big, goofy peace sign.

The three of us, packed into that little frame, looked... really good, actually.