The scent of various perfumes mixed with sweat reached a man’s nose. The man’s shoulders and back kept rubbing against the bodies of other people who were pressed tightly together inside a train that had come to a stop.
The noisy voices from many different mouths mixed into one and unintentionally pierced the man’s ears. The man rubbed his watery eyes and covered his yawning mouth as his body continued to be pushed toward the outside of the train.
The emptiness in his gaze was noticed by no one because no one was paying attention to him, until an old man with blue eyes walked over and stopped right in front of him. The old man had blue eyes that were searching for an opening to get inside.
Their eyes met by accident, but the watery-eyed man immediately looked away. A sigh escaped from his dry lips. He scratched his forehead and began stepping backward even though the train was packed.
"Ahh... sorry, sorry, I slipped."
As a result of his action, a space was created beside him. The man immediately gestured for the blue-eyed old man to enter, which was answered with a smile that pulled at the old man’s wrinkles.
However, because of that movement, the people who had been pushed by him protested his actions.
"Hey, you crazy bastard! We’re already packed like anchovies, you know?!"
"Move over, damn it, or just get off!!"
"Sorry, sorry... I slipped..."
"How the hell do you slip in a train car that’s packed with people, you idiot!!"
The man’s back continued to be pushed, but finally the train doors began to slide shut, allowing him to remain inside the carriage.
From the reflection on the train door’s glass could be seen a pair of black eyes that were reluctant to look at his own face. Even so, his messy golden hair stood out among the black-haired people forming the background behind him.
The golden-haired man rested his forehead against the train door’s glass. His breath formed a layer of mist on the glass while his body slowly swayed as the train began to move.
The vibration of the train almost became a lullaby for him as he stood without holding onto anything. The bodies of the people pressed tightly against one another became just the right support to keep them from falling.
The various noises continued with every beat of the train wheels rolling.
"Hey, turn down your phone’s volume. Are you trying to show off or what?"
"Move a little... you’re stepping on my foot."
"You smell awful. Wear some perfume if you’re going out..."
"What?! You’re the one who smells!! Your mouth is too close to my nose!"
"Help! He’s touching my body!"
"What?!"
He ran his fingers through his increasingly messy golden hair. He then raised his head and rubbed his face.
In the reflection of the train door’s glass, not only was his face visible now, but also the dark, starless sky. In its place, however, the skyscrapers shone together with the lights of the cars caught in traffic.
He placed his palm against the glass, his black eyes focused on the skyscrapers.
’What kind of difficult struggle did the owners of those buildings go through?’
’Did they ever ride a train like this before owning buildings like those?’
A weary smile formed on the man’s dry lips.
’How many years of hard work will I have to go through to own one of those beautiful buildings?’
The black eyes that had once been empty now began to find their light among the reflections of the skyscrapers’ lights.
’Ahh, if I have one someday, what should I turn it into? An office? Or an apartment with a penthouse on top? Then a swimming pool and a food court below... hahaha.’
He became absorbed in his imagination until the dark tunnel the train passed through brought him back. His expression instantly became empty again, something that was accidentally noticed by the blue-eyed old man beside him.
The train continued moving unsteadily. Several times it had to stop at stations, and again and again he had to move aside slightly to make way for those getting off and those getting on.
His black eyes seemed to keep counting the people getting off and getting on.
’What’s this? It’s like a player substitution... the number never decreases.’
What he did not realize was that the blue-eyed old man who had been standing beside him had now disappeared.
After passing two more stations, he finally got off the train that felt like a giant net catching a school of tuna.
He walked fairly quickly together with the people getting off at the same station.
He began riding the escalator. On the right side, tired people could be seen standing still and letting the escalator carry them upward.
Meanwhile, He climbed every step of the escalator instead of simply letting himself be carried.
His climb came to a stop when a girl stood directly blocking him on the left side of the escalator.
He began receiving complaints from the people behind him, causing him to whisper to the girl in front of him,
"Hey... if you don’t want to go up quickly, you can stand on the right side."
The girl turned around. She covered her mouth, her blue eyes looking at him.
"Ahh, is that so? Forgive me... it’s my first time riding a train."
The blue-eyed girl moved to the right side, while he began climbing again because the people behind him were protesting.
The man finally reached the upper floor where crowds of people walked in no particular order to reach their respective destinations.
The man walked among the crowd like an ordinary person. He glanced around slightly while whistling in his mind.
His neck locked in one direction as he walked past a row of food shops. The pleasant aroma of bread reached his nose after having smelled nothing but perfume mixed with sweat.
The man stopped for a moment while looking at one of the most fragrant shops.
’Should I buy some bread or just have dinner? Or dinner with sweet bread?’
The man’s hesitation was interrupted by the voice of the bakery cashier serving an elderly woman.
"Sorry, ma’am... we don’t accept cash payments."
"My goodness... isn’t this still money? Can’t you make an exception for me? I don’t have those kinds of things."
One of the man’s eyebrows rose, and he wrinkled his nose.
’Is this a sign that I should eat something sweet tonight?’
The man immediately walked over to the cashier and the elderly woman. He spoke to the female cashier.
"Is it true that you don’t accept cash?"
He pointed at the menu board showing a piece of bread filled with chocolate ice cream.
"If that’s really the case, I’ll order that bread, and just combine this grandmother’s order with mine... I’ll accept her cash."
The female cashier nodded. She told the man the total price he had to pay, while the man took out his phone and tapped it against the payment terminal.
The elderly woman watched with her blue eyes and smiled.
"Woah... thank you. But shouldn’t you just not ask for the money back? It’s only a little."
He burst into laughter. He smiled broadly.
"Sorry, Grandma. But I’m not rich yet, hahaha."
"When I become rich someday, I’ll give free bread to the whole city!"
The man whispered to the blue-eyed elderly woman.
"And especially for you, I’ll give you two... but don’t tell anyone."
The elderly woman chuckled after hearing the man’s words. She then took out some paper money and handed it to him.
"I pray that you’ll become rich..."
The elderly woman began walking away and blended into the crowd of people passing by before eventually disappearing without a trace.
Meanwhile, He received the coffee-scented bread filled with chocolate ice cream. He walked leisurely while scooping up a little of the ice cream.
He rode the escalator again, but this time it carried him downward. He was in no hurry this time. He ate his ice cream bread slowly until he finally noticed a small child being carried by his mother staring at him.
The man’s eyes blinked several times. He then scooped some ice cream and took a bite of his bread, causing the small child being carried in front of him to become fussy and repeatedly point at his ice cream bread. The man laughed to himself.
The man finally left the crowded station and was now walking along the busy sidewalk. The road beside him was filled with smoothly flowing traffic while he had already finished his ice cream bread.
The man’s steps swayed leisurely. He whistled while looking at the various shops lined up along the street.
A cold gust of wind struck him, causing his golden hair to lift. The cold wind was followed by a rumble in the sky, making the man look up at the dark, starless sky.
Clouds began to cover the moonlight, while drop after drop of rain fell from the starless sky.
The man rubbed his forehead as his black jacket began to be soaked by the drizzle. He started running as the rain became heavier.
"Shit!"
Several other people shared the same fate as him, running to find shelter, while others took out their umbrellas.
The man eventually entered a convenience store by the roadside. Not long afterward, he came back out carrying a white plastic bag containing three cans of beer and a pack of cigarettes.
The man took shelter on the convenience store’s terrace, where there were tables and chairs, while watching the road still filled with passing vehicles and people carrying umbrellas. A sigh escaped from him as he lit a cigarette.
"Should I just buy an umbrella? But it feels like a waste..."
A stream of cigarette smoke left the man’s lips together with a relieved sigh.
"How many umbrellas do I already have at home?"
The man opened a can of cold beer and drank it with satisfaction.
He remained silent for a length of time he didn’t bother counting. Without realizing it, one cigarette after another burned away as he watched the rain that refused to stop. The three cans of beer that had once been full were now nothing but empty cans.
The man tapped the table.
"Damn... if it’s going to be like this, I might as well buy an umbrella."
The man was about to stand up when an old man wearing a brown jacket suddenly sat down at the same table as him. The old man had blue eyes and golden hair.
His brown jacket looked soaked from walking through the rain.
He fell silent for a moment. He wanted to get up again, but the old man spoke to him.
"May I have a cigarette?"
He blinked several times. He looked carefully at the old man’s face sitting across from him, separated only by the round table.
’Today... there sure are a lot of blue-eyed people.’
The man eventually handed the old man a cigarette. He also offered him the lighter to light it.
The old man exhaled a thick cloud of cigarette smoke without thanking the man who had given it to him.
He merely sighed and wanted to leave, but once again the old man spoke.
"Van..."
Van’s black eyes widened. He stared at the old man who had called his name.
"What...? Do you know me?"
Van looked intently at the old man.
"But I don’t think I know you..."
The old man paid Van no attention. He simply took one long drag from his cigarette, causing it to burn more quickly. He then looked at Van while exhaling a thick cloud of smoke that brushed across Van’s face.
"I just know."
The old man pointed toward one of the skyscrapers visible from the convenience store’s terrace.
"Are you still thinking about wanting to own one of those buildings?"
Van coughed after hearing the old man’s words, even though the smoke that had brushed his face had long since disappeared.
"What?"
The old man looked at Van with his blue eyes that, for some reason, seemed capable of seeing straight through him.
"What if you could own one of them? Or several of them? Or, if you’re greedy, you could even own this world."
Van’s mouth opened and closed several times. No sound came out while his brow furrowed, until finally a laugh escaped his lips.
"Hahaha, I think I’m starting to get drunk."
"I think I’d better buy an umbrella and go home to sleep before I cause any trouble, hahaha."
Even after declaring his intention, Van found himself unable to stand up from his seat, as though he wanted to hear the old man’s words once more.
Van then looked at the old man. He reached out and pinched the old man’s slightly rough cheek. He even began stroking the wrinkles on the old man’s face. All he felt was a rough, warm texture.
"Are you real?"
The old man paid Van no attention while Van sank even deeper into his chair.
The old man took another drag from his cigarette and exhaled. The cigarette Van had given him was now completely burned out.
"Do you like history? Do you want to carve your name as the greatest in the history of the world?"
Van rested his elbow while stroking his chin as he looked at the old man. He then stood up and looked around while waving his hand, causing the old man to become confused as well.
"What is this? Is this the newest prank show? Where’s the camera?"
"I’ll get paid, right? A gift is fine too. Eh, wait, wait... this isn’t live, is it?"
The old man shook his head while holding his forehead. He muttered to himself,
"Yes... you really are this kind of person."
The old man then raised his hand and snapped his fingers while Van was still trying to find the hidden camera.
After the snap of his fingers echoed, a gust of wind swept over the place where the two of them were.
After the wind subsided, the raindrops became clearly visible because every single drop was falling slowly. The cars speeding along the road in front of the convenience store now slowed down, while the pedestrians carrying umbrellas and those running also slowed down.
Van, who had been trying to find the hidden camera, now stood completely still. He slowly moved his hand, which was still moving normally. He then stepped onto the road that should have been drenched by the heavy rain.
Reflected in his black eyes were countless raindrops slowing down. He could see them clearly, and perhaps, if given enough time, he could count every single one of them.
Van touched one raindrop after another that still felt wet on his hand. He then turned around, where the golden-haired, blue-eyed old man was still sitting calmly as though nothing had happened.
The old man was now lighting a cigar he had taken out. Thick smoke covered his face. The distance between them was great enough that Van should have had to shout to speak to him.
Yet the old man spoke in a normal voice, and it was heard clearly in both of Van’s ears.
"Can a prank show do that?"