The Old Car and the Underground Train
The next morning, the orphanage began its day with the usual clamor. Children swarmed through the cafeteria carrying trays. Some whined that the kimchi was too spicy, while others spilled their milk. The resulting chaos sent a string of urgent voices echoing from the kitchen as the aunties scrambled to keep up.
In the middle of that commotion, Kang Ihyun sat in a corner of the cafeteria, chewing on braised mackerel as he thought to himself.
...
He needed to bring up the idea of getting the director a new car. The problem was he had no idea how to say it.
“I’d like to get you a new car.” Too direct?
“Your car looks old and dangerous.” That just sounded like nagging.
“Now that I have some money…” He’d probably get smacked in the back of the head the second those words left his mouth.
Kang Ihyun let out a tiny sigh.
“This is harder than I thought.”
It felt more difficult than negotiating with the kingdom’s prime minister, who had stubbornly refused to provide any support.
Just then, an elementary school boy carrying a tray walked past and glanced at him.
“...What are you doing, hyung? Your food’s getting cold.”
“...Huh? Oh, right. I should eat.”
“Do you have something on your mind?”
Kang Ihyun thought for a moment before answering honestly.
“...There’s something I really need to tell the director, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get scolded if I do.”
The boy’s face filled with sympathy.
“Hmm. But the director’s in a bad mood right now.”
“...Why?”
“Minwoo got in trouble earlier for being picky with his food.”
“...I see.”
Being picky was a serious offense, after all.
“It’d be dangerous to go in right now.”
The boy’s serious demeanor reminded Kang Ihyun of a scout on a battlefield. He couldn’t help but chuckle.
A short while later, Kang Ihyun stood in front of the director’s office, took a deep breath, and knocked lightly twice.
Knock. Knock.
A voice came from inside almost immediately.
“Come in.”
When he opened the door, a familiar scene greeted him: the worn desk, stacks of paperwork, and Jeong Seok-woo sitting behind them, peering at documents with his glasses slid down his nose.
Jeong Seok-woo looked up the moment he saw Kang Ihyun and asked indifferently, “What is it?”
“...I have something I’d like to discuss.”
At those words, Jeong Seok-woo’s eyebrows rose slightly.
“...What? You made some money so now you’re planning to move out?”
“Pardon? No, that’s not it. Um…”
After a long pause, he finally spoke with great care.
“...It’s about your car, Director.”
Jeong Seok-woo’s hand, which had been turning a page, froze.
“Why are you suddenly talking about the car?”
Kang Ihyun scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
“...It’s gotten quite old, hasn’t it?”
“...”
“You were already driving it when I was in middle school.”
Jeong Seok-woo silently removed his glasses. Then, as if he had figured out exactly why Kang Ihyun had brought it up, he said,
“Don’t go throwing your money around just because you have some now.”
It was exactly the reaction he had expected. Kang Ihyun stood quietly for a moment, then discarded all the lines he had prepared and pulled out his trump card.
“That car isn’t very safe for the kids either.”
Jeong Seok-woo’s gaze lifted again. Kang Ihyun continued without looking away.
“I’m not just saying that.”
He closed his mouth briefly as if organizing his thoughts, then spoke in a calm, measured tone.
“The door doesn’t even close properly anymore.”
Jeong Seok-woo’s brow furrowed slightly.
“That can be fixed with a little oil…”
“The engine doesn’t start right away these days either, does it?”
“...”
“And the air conditioning is basically broken.”
Jeong Seok-woo’s mouth shut tight. Kang Ihyun pressed on with a more practical angle.
“...They say it’s been incredibly hot this summer. I saw in the news that every year is breaking heat records.”
“Our kids are tough. They’ll be fine.”
The stubbornness of an older man showed in a strange way, and before he knew it, Kang Ihyun spoke with firm conviction.
“It’s precisely because they’re children that it’s more dangerous.”
A short silence fell. Kang Ihyun continued slowly.
“You’re used to it, Director. You know the car’s condition, so you’ve probably maintained it well.”
“But you know how the kids are, don’t you?”
“...”
“If the door doesn’t lock properly, who knows what could happen if they start messing around?”
Kang Ihyun didn’t stop there.
“...And the brakes.”
This time, Jeong Seok-woo’s eyebrows twitched.
“Last time we went to the mart, I felt it pulling a little.”
“...That was—”
“Director.”
Kang Ihyun’s voice grew lower.
“That car is over fifteen years old now.”
Jeong Seok-woo silently took off his glasses and set them on the desk. Kang Ihyun straightened his posture instinctively. But this time, he had no intention of backing down.
“A lot of accidents happen because people keep thinking ‘it’ll be fine, it’ll be fine.’”
“...”
“If it were a car you drove alone, I wouldn’t say any of this.”
Kang Ihyun paused for a moment, then added quietly,
“...But that car carries the children.”
The air inside the director’s office grew heavy. From outside the window, the faint sound of the children’s chatter could still be heard.
Jeong Seok-woo remained silent for a long time, only tapping his fingers on the desk. Kang Ihyun simply watched him.
In truth, he already knew. No matter how indifferent Jeong Seok-woo was about his own problems, he was never indifferent when it came to the children.
Meanwhile, Jeong Seok-woo was quietly observing Kang Ihyun.
The boy had always been kind. Even as a child, he had cared more about others than himself, which made Jeong Seok-woo grow especially fond of him.
However, after spending twelve years fighting creatures that weren’t even human, there had been a small worry that his values might have become twisted somewhere along the way. People with too much power often lost the ability to understand the discomfort or fear of the weak.
But the Kang Ihyun standing before him now—while saying he wanted to replace the car—had chosen the safety of the children as his argument to persuade him.
A warm feeling rose in Jeong Seok-woo’s chest, and he felt the corner of his mouth lift ever so slightly without meaning to. Of course, he had no intention of showing it, so he cleared his throat instead.
“...Ahem! Looks like going to another world and coming back has finally put some sense into you.”
Kang Ihyun was momentarily stunned.
“...What? What are you talking about? Where was I ever lacking sense?”
When Kang Ihyun muttered with a dumbfounded expression, Jeong Seok-woo finally burst into loud laughter.
A few days later, the two of them headed toward the subway station near the orphanage. Today was the day they had agreed to visit the used car market.
Jeong Seok-woo tapped his transportation card first and passed through, and Kang Ihyun followed right behind him. The familiar beep sounded. Once they stepped onto the platform, they found it wasn’t overly crowded—probably because they had missed the peak commuting hour.
Kang Ihyun quietly looked around. The subway scenery wasn’t all that different from what he remembered, so it didn’t feel particularly unfamiliar.
However, the sight of everyone with their heads down, staring only at their smartphones, felt a little strange.
People watching the news. People scrolling through short videos. People playing games. From those reading comics to those reading novels. Some couldn’t even take their eyes off their screens while walking.
Kang Ihyun watched the scene for a moment before saying quietly,
“...Everyone’s so busy staring at their phones.”
Jeong Seok-woo snorted.
“They’re all addicted.”
“...Is it that bad?”
“These days, there are tons of kids who feel like they’re going to die if they don’t have their phones.”
Kang Ihyun unconsciously thought of the smartphone in his own pocket. Then he answered with complete honesty.
“...Well, now that I’ve used one, it really is pretty convenient.”
Jeong Seok-woo glanced at him.
“...You’ve already gotten used to it in just a few days?”
“I’m young, so…?”
“...You rascal.”
A little while later, the subway came sliding into the platform with a loud rumble.
Screeech.
As soon as the doors opened, people moved all at once. Kang Ihyun and Jeong Seok-woo naturally slipped into the car along with the crowd.
After one or two stops, a strange atmosphere began to build.
“...”
The people around them were subtly glancing at Kang Ihyun. Especially the two pretty college-aged girls sitting right next to him—they kept sending glances his way even while talking to each other.
At first, Kang Ihyun didn’t think much of it. But after feeling those stares for quite a while, he finally looked down at his own clothes.
“...”
There was nothing strange about them. A black hoodie, a short padded jacket, jeans, and sneakers. They were the plain, ordinary clothes Han Do-yun had picked out for him.
Kang Ihyun eventually muttered softly,
“...Director.”
“What?”
“...Am I dressed weirdly or something?”
Jeong Seok-woo had been scrolling through his phone screen as if reading a newspaper, but he glanced at Kang Ihyun. He immediately understood the situation. The two girls sitting across from them had looked away far too obviously.
Jeong Seok-woo let out a small snort.
“...No.”
“Then why do they keep…”
“Just leave it.”
Kang Ihyun still looked completely lost. Then, one of the short-haired girls sitting across from them suddenly stood up, as if her friend had pushed her from behind.
“...Hey, hey!”
“Go on, seriously!”
With a flushed face and hesitant steps, the girl eventually walked over to stand in front of Kang Ihyun. Looking extremely nervous, she opened her mouth.
“U-um…”
Kang Ihyun’s gaze lowered.
“...Yes?”
“...Could I possibly get your number?”
For a moment, Kang Ihyun’s face showed pure confusion.
“...My number? Why?”
Silence.
The girl’s face turned bright red in an instant. Her friend watching from behind ended up covering her mouth and bowing her head. Kang Ihyun genuinely looked like he had no idea what was going on. Jeong Seok-woo merely cleared his throat beside him.
“...Ahem.”
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, but he didn’t intervene.
The girl spoke in a flustered rush.
“Ah, no, it’s just… I mean…”
Kang Ihyun thought for a moment, then asked with complete seriousness.
“...Is this some kind of personal information leak?”
This time, the friend in the back finally burst out laughing. The girl’s face turned so red it looked like it might explode. Jeong Seok-woo turned his gaze toward the window and muttered under his breath,
“...Stop embarrassing the poor girl and just give it to her.”
Kang Ihyun looked back at Jeong Seok-woo with an aggrieved expression.
“...I’m not the one embarrassing her.”
Even so, he eventually took the girl’s phone and entered his number. Jeong Seok-woo simply chuckled in response.
Right then, the next station announcement played.
“The next stop is Janghanpyeong. This stop is Janghanpyeong Station.”
Jeong Seok-woo jerked his chin.
“Let’s get off.”
Kang Ihyun walked toward the door, his face still showing that he hadn’t fully grasped the situation. Behind him, the two flushed college girls bumped shoulders and quietly freaked out.