168. Unable to Connect. After the Beep...
168. Unable to Connect. After the Beep...
***
Deep night had settled, and only the city lights faintly illuminated the streets at dawn.
Serin had woken far too early without meaning to, leaving her with time to spare. Time, which usually flew by even when she did nothing but breathe, now seemed to tease her with its slowness, stretching those free hours even longer.
After waking from a dream related to Black Ark, Serin had spent about an hour staring blankly into space, thinking about the dream. Then she spent the next hour exercising, something she had put off because of the collaboration stream.
Even after passing several hours, it was still not yet 4 a.m. A time when she would normally be asleep.
Swish.
Serin slipped on a thin cardigan, pulled out two cans of beer, and stepped out onto the terrace.
Clack.
As she closed the terrace door and took in the neatly arranged terrace, a wave of nostalgia washed over her.
'Time really flies.'
It struck her as strange that it had already been several days since she had drinks with Sua, and she settled into one of the terrace chairs.
She set the beer cans down on the table, then turned her head slightly to gaze out at the dark night.
The view of the city at dawn beyond the terrace railing.
Unlike the brilliant glow of earlier, it was now quite dark. The deep night seemed to have swallowed the city whole.
Serin stared at the sight as if entranced, then let out a small laugh without realizing it.
"This is a good time of day for wallowing alone."
She laughed self-deprecatingly and picked up one of the beer cans.
Pssht!
With the distinctive sound of the can opening, she brought the beer to her lips and tasted its characteristic bitter aroma and grainy flavor.
She frowned slightly, but laughter escaped her for no reason.
On a midsummer dawn, cold beer needed no side dishes.
She leaned her cheek lightly against the cold can, taking in the city's night view to clear her head.
"...This is nice."
Then a hollow laugh slipped out.
If anyone saw her drinking alone while gazing at the city at dawn, she would look utterly pathetic. Even as she thought that, she didn't mind this situation of drinking alone.
It had been a long time since she'd drunk alone with the night view as her only accompaniment.
"I guess I've been drinking nothing but fancy wine lately. Beer feels almost awkward now."
She said it half to break the silence hanging in the space.
The dark city visible beyond the terrace kept drawing her gaze as if under some spell.
The buildings all soared toward the sky, each flaunting its height as if boasting to the others, and perhaps because the place I lived in was so high up, I could see the tops of the buildings.
And that had its own charm.
Maybe because she had dreamed about Black Ark just a few hours ago, the dawn cityscape looked quite magnificent now.
In Black Ark, buildings of this height would be beyond even an emperor's wildest dreams.
It was a pleasant way to pass the time, entertaining such strange thoughts.
She was casually enjoying a view that only an emperor could have had.
"...No."
Even the luxurious imperial palace where the emperor lived couldn't offer a view as beautiful as the one before her now.
......
Serin, who had been staring blankly at the city to calm her mind, suddenly parted her lips.
"Still, I should get some sleep."
Even as she said it, she didn't really feel like sleeping.
If she fell asleep, would she dream of Black Ark again? The thought had crossed her mind without warning.
Having woken so early, everything she'd been doing was mostly to avoid going back to sleep.
Her mind was clearer than expected, and her body wasn't tired at all. Considering she usually slept close to ten hours, it was hard to believe she felt this good after only three hours of sleep.
But still, thinking about her appointment with Eunha, she needed to get at least a little sleep.
Tap. Tap.
Serin idly tapped the empty beer can, deliberately taking her time.
This was the first time she'd had such a vivid dream, and even hours later, she was pretending to be calm on the outside, but it kept nagging at her inside.
The memory of Lilith saying the name 'Han Serin.' After becoming aware of that, she had tried to think through her other memories as well, but many of them wouldn't surface, as if shrouded in a hazy fog.
There had certainly been so many striking events that she'd thought none of them would be easy to forget, yet now they strangely wouldn't come to mind.
She knew certain events had happened. But only the broad outlines of how they unfolded came back to her. The details wouldn't surface.
If she had to compare it to something, it was like seeing the faint outline of a person through thick fog.
And yet, amid those memories, her impression of a woman named Cecilia remained strangely vivid.
Whether it was because of how significant she had been, or because they had spent so much time together... she couldn't tell, but even now her image came to mind clearly.
"Cecilia."
She murmured the name blankly, puzzled. Why had she dreamed of the empress, of all people?
Continental unification, one of the main storylines. A woman who had transformed herself completely from who she was at the start over that long journey, and who had become an immense presence in her own right by the end.
The biggest reason my belief that it was just a game world had been shaken was Cecilia. As time went on, the many sides of her that seemed so vividly alive had forced me to question everything.
And by the end of it all, I had reached a conclusion that was close to certainty.
That the world of Black Ark might be another reality.
"Really... it's all pointless."
Pssht!
She opened the other can of beer and tried to shake off the thoughts that kept rising.
The alcohol slid down her pale throat, and though Serin grimaced, she eventually emptied both cans.
She simply stared blankly at the city, and only when she saw the sun beginning to light it did she leave the terrace.
Her appointment with Eunha was at 10 a.m.
***
Swish.
Rustle.
As Eunha applied light makeup and got ready, she felt strangely unsettled.
"...So this is what it feels like to be excited and regretful at the same time."
As she prepared to meet Serin, her heart kept fluttering, but at the same time, she was already feeling the regret of when they would have to part.
Sunday, August 22nd.
After today, she would surely have almost no personal time left.
She had taken an abrupt break mid-season, so her backlogged schedule was already a problem, and she had made unreasonable demands after returning this week just to free up time on the weekend.
With the playoffs right around the corner, even now she was indulging in quite a luxury.
So while she thought the time she would spend with Serin would surely be even more enjoyable, the reality that they wouldn't be able to see each other often after today muddled her feelings.
'Is this how my fans always feel when they come to see me?'
She had never understood the feelings of fans who said they traveled for hours or even flew in just to see her, but now she understood perfectly.
So Eunha checked the schedule she had prepared for today once more and steeled herself.
She wanted to spend the time without any regrets.
......
@#$%.
Hearing the default ringtone, Eunha held her smartphone with an anxious heart.
The appointment was at 10 a.m.
It was now past 10, approaching 10:10.
Eunha had arrived near Serin's officetel long ago and had been trying to reach her, but for some reason, Serin wasn't answering.
—Unable to connect. After the beep...
This was already the fourth call.
Every time, the signal went on for a long time before cutting off, and only that recorded message played repeatedly. She couldn't get through.
In the first place, Serin's officetel had a security system that required a resident's approval before anyone could enter the underground parking garage.
But right now, she couldn't even get that basic contact, so she had pulled over nearby and was trying to call.
"Could something... have happened to Serin?"
Rather than calling again, Eunha paused and murmured with a sinking feeling, unable to hide her worry.
Serin was someone who always answered properly outside of broadcast hours.
She did so on weekdays, and even more quickly on weekends, so this was a first.
Today was a day off from streaming.
And it was morning.
They had spent time together until evening yesterday before parting, so Eunha tried to tell herself that nothing could be wrong, but she couldn't hide her worry about the situation.
She waited anxiously for about five minutes for a call back. Just as she was about to lose patience and call again—
@#$%.
Her smartphone rang.
Eunha, who had been holding the phone in her hand, flinched in surprise and quickly checked it. Her expression brightened.
The caller was none other than Serin.
"Serin!?"
Eunha answered, her voice a little louder than usual.
—Ah, I'm so, so sorry, Eunha!!
Serin's voice over the phone sounded even more flustered than Eunha's.
"Are you okay right now?"
—...Huh?
"No, you weren't answering any of my calls, so I was really worried something had happened to you."
—I-I'm fine. I'm really sorry, but I overslept and just woke up. I'm truly, really sorry! I'll enter the parking security right now. Eunha... are you nearby?
Only then did Eunha's expression relax at Serin's urgent voice, and she let out a small sigh.
"Yes, I'm right outside. Take your time getting ready. I'm fine."
—Thank you so much for saying that. And I'm really sorry, Eunha...
With that, Serin ended the call to enter the security code. Eunha slowly drove her car and began entering Serin's officetel.
Vroom.
As she drove slowly to the low rumble of the Bugatti Chiron's engine, a faint smile slipped out without her realizing.
"Serin... isn't perfect either."