Side Story 2
Bom was startled. Every capillary in Jae-gyu's eyes had burst.
It was strange that he, who had contacted her non-stop except when he was on the plane, had suddenly gone silent. It was strange that he was wearing traditional Egyptian clothing. And it was strange that his eyes looked like that. Her heart pounded, wondering if he had gotten involved in some incident.
"First... I'll explain on the way."
Jae-gyu started the engine and pressed the accelerator. Normally, he would have put on some music first, but this time he didn't, leaving the car silent. As they exited the Incheon International Airport parking lot, a blue sign appeared ahead.
[ Seoul
↖ Incheon ]
As they entered the road towards Seoul on the left, a wide, open road stretched out before them.
If they continued straight, they'd be in Seoul in no time. Only then did Jae-gyu let out a sigh of relief, seeming to ponder for a moment before finally speaking with difficulty.
"...I was hit."
"Huh? With what?"
Startled, Bom straightened her back and turned her head.
"I... was pickpocketed."
"..."
"Hmph, my phone..."
Pickpocketed in Egypt? That was completely unexpected. Not his wallet, but his phone—and an old Android phone released three years ago, at that. What kind of strange person would even want that...?
"Where did it happen?"
"It's a bit of a long story. Want to hear it?"
"Yeah. Tell me."
"Then could you play that one from our playlist? The one you sent before I left."
"Oh, that one? The one that sounds like snakes are coming out?"
"...It really sets the mood if you play it."
Reluctantly, Bom played the playlist Jae-gyu asked for.
<[Arabian Vibes] Egyptian Music PLAYLIST🌪🐫🐫 Desert Experience BGM (1 Hour Loop)>
A strange flute sound echoed through the quiet car. Jae-gyu, keeping his eyes on the road, slowly began his story.
"The incident... happened on the last day."
Morning in Cairo.
Jae-gyu ate a hearty breakfast and went up to his hotel room.
The Training schedule, which had taken place in Aswan in southern Egypt, was all finished, and he had arrived at a Cairo hotel in the city center last night.
No one who had shared the room with him was left, so the room felt incredibly desolate.
Everyone had rushed out early in the morning to catch their tour buses. Jae-gyu was the only one left in the hotel room.
In truth, Jae-gyu also wanted to go sightseeing with them.
While he had visited museums and temples as part of the Training schedule, what he considered the highlight of Egyptian tourism was today.
「Giza Pyramid Complex Tour」
As someone involved in the Solar Energy Site, and as someone deeply interested in Egyptian culture, to have to leave without seeing the pyramids—symbols of sun god worship...
It was a great pity, but there was nothing he could do. Jae-gyu had a more important schedule than the pyramids.
He had heard last week that there had been a snag with the dress Bom was supposed to have fitted, but fortunately, a reservation at a shop that had been on standby had opened up. Jae-gyu had booked his return flight at his own expense to match this reservation date.
A dress? Wasn't that the ceremonial gown she'd wear when they got married? It made no sense for him, her partner, to miss such an incredibly important event as choosing that dress.
He'd also been missing Bom so much these past few days that he'd barely been able to sleep.
'Just wait a little longer, pretty one.'
Jae-gyu, reinvigorated, hummed as he took out his suitcase and opened it wide.
He neatly folded the clothes he'd worn and placed them into vacuum compression bags, then stacked them carefully inside the suitcase.
He meticulously organized the souvenirs he'd bought at the museum and those he'd purchased last night in downtown Cairo.
Papyrus inscribed with hieroglyphs symbolizing family health, a camel-themed cup set, Date Palm Chocolate, Egyptian honey...
He had chosen them with the belief that quality was more important than price, so nothing looked cheap or shoddy.
Because he'd bought enough for his family and colleagues, the suitcase quickly became bulging.
A moment later, Jae-gyu, having finished all his preparations, stepped out onto the balcony. Intense sunlight poured down, but it wasn't too hot yet.
What a shame...
Jae-gyu took in the view of Cairo from the balcony. Unlike the south, which was filled with desert sands and ruins, downtown Cairo City was like any other major metropolis.
High-rise buildings including Cairo Tower, modern art museums, and roads bustling with commuting cars gave it a fleeting resemblance to Seoul. There was no trace of past agricultural activity, no matter how hard you looked.
Only the Nile River, cutting through the city, retained its ancient appearance. While staying in the south, he had admired that river, said to be the longest in the world, every day. The brilliant blue currents that gave rise to the four great civilizations of the world would likely remain in his memory for a long time.
Not just the Nile, but the traces of civilization left throughout Egypt were deeply etched into Jae-gyu's mind.
Egypt, the land of the sun. Would he ever have a chance to come again...?
Jae-gyu naturally pulled out his phone and opened the camera app.
Click, click.
He diligently captured the moment. Even after returning to Korea, he would be able to remember this time through the photos.
He was doing that for quite some time when suddenly.
Ding.
Jae-gyu's eyes widened as he tapped the pop-up from the alarm sound.
Damn, this is a problem!
[[Web Message] Please be advised that the arrival/departure time for your flight KE7904 to Incheon has been changed as follows due to an aircraft delay. We apologize for the inconvenience.
▶Before Change: CAI 11:30 → ICN 09:25 +1
▶After Change: CAI 13:30 → ICN 11:25 +1]
Startled, Jae-gyu first went into his airline ticket app to cross-check if the message was real. After confirming it was indeed happening, he immediately sent a message to Bom.
[Bom, what do I do? The flight's delayed.]
He also sent a crying emoji and forwarded the alarm he'd just received from the airline. A reply came quickly, indicating she wasn't in class.
[Bom-soon][That's great!😀]
[Huh?]
[Bom-soon][If it's that time, I think I can pick you up at the airport.]
[Don't come! You'll be dead tired if you come all the way to Incheon. Just stay in Seoul and I'll be right overㅠㅠㅠㅠ!!!!!! No way!!!!!!!!!!]
[Bom-soon][It's fine, I can just stop by before heading to Seoul lol]
Still!
Even just the drive to Apgujeong, where the dress shop was, would be tiring enough for Bom. Adding Incheon Airport to that would make for an incredibly grueling schedule. It would be a hundred times better for him to take the airport subway there himself.
In his haste, he quickly called Bom.
'Bom! I'll get there myself, okay?'
—I'm good at long-distance driving now. I'll get there on time and wait, so don't worry and just come.
'Ha, then what about coming from Gimhae Airport?'
—I said don't worry, didn't I? Look, I have to go to class now. Anyway, just know I'm coming. Got it?
'Oh, right. Class. Ha, well, can't be helped then. Drive safely on your way up. See you soon. I love you. Mwah.'
Bom's coming all the way to the airport? Wow, I hadn't even thought of that, my heart's pounding.
He wanted to see her quickly. Terribly. Jae-gyu, who had showered kisses on the screen where the call had already ended, checked the time on his phone and narrowed his eyes.
'Hmm. But what do I do here? I have a lot of time left then.'
Should I take a nap? I just woke up, so I'm not sleepy, but maybe I should force myself...
'No!'
What flashed through his mind at that moment was none other than the pyramids. He had just been feeling regretful, and even calculating the travel time, it was enough to go for a quick visit.
Jae-gyu, who had naturally opened the Uber app, soon changed his mind. Dragging his suitcase all the way there would be a bit of a headache. It was awkward to drag it around, and awkward to leave it with an Uber driver.
So, Jae-gyu came down to the hotel front desk with his suitcase, explained the Circumstances to the staff, and was able to be assigned a driver-cum-guide who was collaborating with the hotel.
The guide arrived quickly. He was a well-built, middle-aged man who looked good in a red polo shirt. His name was Mustafa, a fairly common name in that region.
He hadn't really expected much, but unexpectedly, Mustafa was an excellent guide. He told many stories about the pyramids throughout the journey, and he spoke so well that his words were utterly captivating.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu they were currently heading to was said to have been built around 2500 BC, in other words, during prehistoric times.
It was around the time when the Neolithic Age transitioned to the Bronze Age, when mammoths roamed. The pyramids were built then? He simply couldn't believe it.