Just Slightly Handsomer

"Ah, this is kind of disappointing."

I'd already been home for an hour after parting ways with Cha Heejung, phone in hand the whole time, and I still wasn't satisfied.

I'd combined what I'd saved up before with the Sex Coins I'd mined from Cha Heejung this time and splurged on an Appearance Change Ticket, but—

"What is this?"

With just a single use, the limits on what I could change were painfully clear.

Focus on the eyes, and I became "Kim Minseok with handsome eyes."

Focus on the nose, and I became "Kim Minseok with a handsome nose."

In the end, I couldn't escape being "Kim Minseok."

And I can't even change just one feature…

Thinking back to the weird looks I'd gotten from people around me after shooting up in height over too short a stretch, I knew I had to take it slow. That meant shifting my whole face little by little…

But then barely anyone will even notice.

Sure, I had to admit I looked better than before. But an Appearance Change Ticket cost a full 64,000 coins. That was over thirty million won—enough cash that if I'd withdrawn it and walked into a plastic surgery clinic, I could have had my entire face rebuilt. Of course I felt shortchanged.

"Ah, whatever!"

After another ten minutes of fiddling, I squeezed my eyes shut and hit confirm.

Skin a little fairer.

Eyes a little larger.

Nose a little more defined.

Overall, a slightly handsomer Kim Minseok.

At this level, if I asked Cha Heejung or Lee Jieun, "Do I look different somehow?" they'd just tilt their heads. Then they'd say something like, "Hmm, something does seem different…"

I was wondering just how much my appearance value had gone up when the app screen caught my eye.

It had been so long since I'd used an Appearance Change Ticket that I'd completely forgotten. If I'd known, I would have done it last night before falling asleep at the motel.

When I saw the next purchase price, my jaw dropped. Looks like plain old "handsome Kim Minseok" was still a long way off.

"Haa… I should get ready to head out."

My karaoke date with Lee Jieun wasn't far off.

Maybe because it'd been busier than usual, quitting time was already here.

I stepped out the shop's back door, dropped onto a styrofoam box of decent size, and lit a cigarette.

"Hoo~ Time really flies."

January 7th (Sunday)

01:21

A whole week had already passed since that trip to Seoul. Nothing special had happened to me these past few days. Yesterday felt like today, and today felt like yesterday—the same routine on loop.

During the day, I'd meet Lee Jieun under the excuse of karaoke, enjoy a little date, then clock in at the shop together. After work, I'd meet Cha Heejung, spend some heated time together, and mine Sex Coins.

Days like a repeating refrain—but a few things had shifted, bit by bit.

The first thing that jumped out was that the Appearance Change Ticket I'd bought earlier had bumped up the Sex Coin Value. The number was pitifully low compared to what I'd invested, but seeing "got handsomer" confirmed in digits still felt good.

The second thing was my relationship with Lee Jieun.

Too close to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠call just friends, not quite lovers. We'd playfully shove each other, but there was no real physical intimacy. In other words—something. A "something." We were in that vague gray zone people call a situationship.

If either of us confessed, we'd probably start dating on the spot. The problem was that a girlfriend wasn't what I wanted. My goal, start to finish, was Sex Coins—or more bluntly, Lee Jieun's body—so this arrangement kept going as it was.

I needed to push things forward somehow…

There just hasn't been a good time.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Personally, I figure the best way to take an ambiguous relationship up a notch is alcohol. But every time I met Lee Jieun, it was during the day. Drinking in the afternoon? Right before a shift? Obviously out of the question.

After work, then? I had to meet Cha Heejung. Sure, I could free up a day if I really tried, but—

Just from the 3rd through the 6th—four days—I'd piled up this much. Nearly ten million won a day. Giving that up to carve out time for setting a mood with Lee Jieun was simply not something I could do.

And it's not like drinking with Jieun guarantees we end up at a motel…

So that was the situation. We kept getting closer, and yet nothing actually changed—just a stretch of ordinary days slipping by.

And just like that, the first Sunday of 2018 arrived. Tomorrow the shop was closed.

When I go back in, I should tell Jieun let's meet tomorrow evening.

Since I finally had a day off, spending the afternoon on a proper date with Cha Heejung seemed like a good idea. We only ever went to motels whenever ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we met—of course she'd be stewing about that on the inside. Then in the evening I'd meet Lee Jieun, treat her to a nice dinner with a drink on the side, and it'd be perfect. After that, once the mood was right…

Hiss—

I stubbed out the finished cigarette in the paper cup I used as an ashtray and stood up. I brushed off the seat of my pants and headed back inside—only to find a face I really hadn't expected.

"What the hell? Why are you here?"

Bright yellow hair, a black cross-shaped piercing in one ear. A guy with the classic punk look was wedged between Lee Jieun and hyung Dongmin, head bowed.

"Ah, Minseok. Seongyong said he just stopped by on his way home after drinking."

Whether Dongmin was telling the truth or not, Choi Seongyong's face was flushed red. Last time I'd seen him, one or two bottles of soju hadn't even fazed him—if he looked like this, he'd put away a serious amount.

"The three of us are having some chicken. I'm gonna head into the kitchen first and finish cleaning up."

The moment hyung Dongmin got up from the table, it was just me, Choi Seongyong, and Lee Jieun left.

Ugh, I really hate this kind of atmosphere…

Choi Seongyong's relentless texts had started with a New Year's greeting on January 1st. They'd kept coming day after day, even during today's shift, and Lee Jieun had answered in short replies or ignored him entirely. Most people would've given up by now—and yet here he was, drunk, showing up at the shop.

"Hey, Lee Jieun…"

His tongue was already a little thick. The look on Lee Jieun's face might as well have had I really don't want this written across it. He didn't care and kept going.

"After this, wanna… grab a drink together?"

"Why would I?"

"We're off tomorrow~."

A string of curses climbed all the way up my throat, but jumping in right then would've been awkward in its own way, so I held it in.

"I have to go straight home."

"Then… what about tomorrow~?"

"Haa… I'm busy tomorrow too."

She sounded thoroughly fed up. It was the first time I'd ever seen Lee Jieun sigh like that.

"No! I'm asking what you're doing!?"

Maybe her attitude set him off—his voice suddenly spiked, and he started revving ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up hard. I couldn't watch anymore. I stood, grabbed one of his arms.

"Hey. Come have a smoke with your hyung."

"No, let go of me!"

Clatter—

He shook off my hand and knocked the chicken all over the table. Rage shot straight to the top of my skull, but one look at Lee Jieun staring at us with startled eyes and I swallowed it down again.

"Looks like you've had a lot to drink, so let's step out for some air and talk."

I pulled his arm firmly, and only then did he get up, like he was doing me a favor.

"Hoo…"

He let out a heavy breath—the alcohol catching up to him—and followed me. I flashed Lee Jieun a smile that said it was fine, then headed out the same back door I'd just come through.

We were outside the shop, but neither of us said a word. He was a problem, sure—but I needed to cool my own irritation too. We each lit a cigarette, and once I felt a little better, I spoke first. As roundabout as I could manage. No fighting.

"How much did you drink?"

I opened with a completely unrelated question.

"Just… had a bit!"

His voice climbed at the end, loud enough to bother the quiet night street. I forced my face not to scowl and tried again.

"Looks like you had a lot. You should get home."

I was definitely being gentle. I'd swallowed my irritation more than once already. I'd bitten back the curses that wanted to fly out on the spot.

But in a voice so small it wouldn't have carried anywhere less quiet than this, he answered me with a curse that left zero room for doubt.

"…Fucking… bullshit…"