A Door Too Heavy
"What are you going to do?"
"How about it? Doesn't seem like a bad offer." Jina sipped her beer with a gentle smile. I glanced between her and Oh Serin, who was fidgeting like a puppy that desperately needed to go outside. She looked anxious, worried I might actually accept the offer.
I chuckled and answered Jina. "Even if you offered a lot of money, I'm not thinking about switching jobs. I actually like it here quite a bit."
It wasn't that I was particularly interested in big money anyway. Maybe it was because I'd come back in time. Even though I hadn't saved much, after experiencing everything I'd worked for vanishing in an instant, my interest in that sort of thing had faded.
'Besides, I have other goals.'
I couldn't afford to drop out now, not when I was slowly building something. That was why I turned down Jina's offer.
"That's a shame. I could've poached a good editor."
"Don't you already have enough editors?"
"One of the spots is about to open up. The kid's moving on to a proper job. I was planning to post the listing soon."
"I see."
YouTube editors didn't have long careers. It was a job mostly attempted by young people, and since it was freelance, you had to deliver results rather than just clock hours. My case was special, but usually, even a ten-minute video could take an entire day. Most people got paid per video or by views, which worked out to barely above minimum wage when calculated by the hour. Slower workers often earned less than minimum wage. On top of that, editing demanded intense concentration. Sitting in front of a computer for five to ten hours straight without losing focus or making mistakes took a serious toll. That was why many people tried being YouTube editors for three to five years before looking for other work.
But I was different.
"If I can work on my own channel and Serin's channel at the same time, I might consider it. Though that would mean less time for other work."
"Then I guess there's no helping it."
"S-Sua~ I knew I could count on you~"
Oh Serin, who had been so restless moments ago, beamed at my answer. If I left, her YouTube channel wouldn't be able to run, so her reaction was understandable. Still, seeing her so relieved made me oddly happy.
"Don't worry too much. I'll be sucking every last drop of sweetness while it's still there."
"Does that mean you'll throw me away once it's gone...?!"
"Make sure you keep producing that sweetness, then."
I laughed mischievously. Then I glanced out the window and noticed the sky had already turned pitch black. Time had flown while we were chatting and playing around.
"I should probably head out now. A child editor needs plenty of sleep to grow taller."
"I don't particularly want to get taller, though."
"Are you still sulking because you lost at basketball earlier? Serin, you should've gone easy on her."
"Right~ You should've held back a little."
"Grrr!!"
They were digging up memories I'd finally managed to forget! I smacked Oh Serin's shoulder a few times before calling the manager. He'd been working on his laptop at a nearby café and arrived at the restaurant shortly after.
"Ah, wait a second. PD Lee, could I get your autograph...?"
"Of course."
Before leaving, Oh Serin asked the manager for an autograph. He signed the paper and pen she handed him with practiced ease. Watching them reminded me of a promise I'd made.
"Serin, could I get one too?"
"Huh? From me?"
"Yeah. A senior I know—no, a friend—is a huge fan of yours. I promised I'd get your autograph."
"R-Really? Your friend is my fan?! W-What do I do, I don't have any autograph paper ready...! Just give me a second!"
She looked flustered but couldn't hide her joy. She poured all her focus into drawing her signature on the paper.
"What's their name?"
"Just write 'Bom.'"
"Got it. 'Thank you for your support, Bom!' There, all done!"
She'd created a careful signature, complete with a small drawing and a message of thanks in the corner.
"Hehe... I can't believe I have fans too! Unnie, Sua, want me to sign something for you guys as well?"
"I'm good."
"No thanks."
"O-Oh... Okay..."
Oh Serin deflated like a puppy with its tail between its legs. Or should I say, a weasel with its tail down?
"Today was fun. I'll call you later."
"Yeah, get home safe!"
"See you around, child editor."
I climbed into the passenger seat of the manager's car, clutching the autograph tightly, and waved at them. I'd almost forgotten about it.
***
'I've been feeling busy lately.'
The thought crossed my mind while riding the subway. It made sense, since I'd started seriously editing videos after leaving the orphanage, but that wasn't what I meant. I was going out more often. Technically, I only had one or two external appointments a week, so it wasn't that much, but compared to my old hikikomori lifestyle of leaving the house only for exercise or walks, it felt busy. Right now I was traveling alone because of my promise to Bom.
'At least this is the last scheduled appointment. I can stay home after this.'
I didn't want to go outside if I could help it. Moving my fingers was enough exercise anyway.
With that thought, I arrived at the place Bom had told me about last time. It was on the third floor of a building. Since there was no elevator, I had to climb the stairs with considerable effort.
"Huff... This is the right place, right?"
I checked the name of the practice room written on the glass door and grabbed the handle. Bom had said to just come in once I arrived, so I tried to open it.
"Hngh!"
The massive glass door refused to let me in.
"Aagh... It's heavy."
Was it because of the temperature difference between inside and outside? Or was the door simply designed to close automatically with too much force? There was a sign that said [Pull], but just in case, I'd tried pushing with my body. The door only rattled and stayed shut. Left with no choice, I grabbed the handle with both hands and leaned back with all my strength.
"Nngh...!"
Open already! Why did they make this door so heavy?!
Just as I was practically playing tug-of-war with the door, putting every ounce of strength into it—
'It's opening!'
The gap in the glass door slowly began to widen. But maybe I got careless at the sight. The foot supporting my weight slipped.
"Huh?"
My body was yanked forward by the door. There was a loud thud, and a sharp impact struck my forehead.
"Aagh!"
My head... Did it crack open? An unbearable pain spread from my forehead. My eyes grew moist from the reflexive reaction, and my vision blurred.
Just then, someone inside heard the commotion and opened the door. It was Bom.
"What are you doing...?"
Bom stared at me clutching my forehead and shedding tears, looking utterly dumbfounded.
"...Sniff."
I wanted to die.
*
Bom gave me a pitying look as she examined my slightly reddened forehead.
"Even so, aren't you way too weak? You're all skin and bones... What are you going to do if you can't even open a door?"
"I've been feeling the need to exercise lately..."
I really had been feeling it keenly these days. My stamina had improved somewhat, but my muscle strength was hopeless. First the water bottle cap, now a door. Thinking about it made me depressed.
"Anyway, that's not important... So why did you call me here today? A practice room, of all places. Do you dance too, sunbae?"
The walls were covered in mirrors. I'd assumed it was a place for ballet or dance practice.
"I do a bit of ballet sometimes so I don't forget what I used to do, but I usually use it for acting practice."
"You need a place like this for acting too?"
"Of course. It's a job where every movement, gesture, and expression is on display. Mirrors are essential for acting practice."
Since it was an unfamiliar field, I looked around in admiration as Bom explained. With mirrors on all sides, I'd be able to see exactly how I was moving in an instant. While doing so, I noticed something in the corner. A phone mounted on a tripod at eye level. Had she been recording her acting practice to review it later?
"By the way, you have something to give me, don't you?"
"...I can't just hand it over. I'll give it to you once everything's done safely. If you make me do anything weird, you won't get it."
"Tch, you're so unnecessarily cautious..."
Bom looked disappointed. Just what had she been planning to make me do...?!
"Before we start, want to listen to this first?"
"What is it?"
"A song."
Without further explanation, Bom played music on her phone. It must have been connected to the speakers in the practice room, because music filled the entire space. It was a slightly EDM-like track with a synthesizer melody as the main element. The moderately fast beat was energizing.
"How is it? Pretty good, right?"
"It is good. Kind of addictive too. You said you only did acting, but are you planning to do music as well?"
"Not yet, but... well, maybe something similar?"
With a meaningful smile, Bom operated her phone. Then she showed me a video and grinned slyly. It was a short vertical video of someone dancing to the music we'd just heard.
Huh, this is... No way...?
As if responding to my anxiety, Bom's grin grew wider. She leaned in close and whispered in my ear.
"Let's film a TikTok together."
Shit!