The next day.
The repair shop’s office door was tightly shut.
A truly perfect sealed room!
No one could see what was happening inside. This gloomy, dark room was completely isolated from the world. Inside were two broad-shouldered giants and a young girl. Of course, one of them was me.
-Gulp…!
I struck a double peace sign in front of them.
Compared to the two giants before me, I looked like a hamster in front of an elephant.
They grinned, baring their teeth.
“Ahhh…!”
“Heh heh heh…!”
“…”
My expression froze awkwardly. The fingers making the double peace sign trembled slightly. But considering what was ahead, I had to endure it.
-Click!-
One of the giants, my uncle Park Tae-oh, held a digital camera, chuckling as he started throwing playful jabs.
“Hey, genius author! A devoted fan asked for a photo, so give me a bigger smile!”
“Genius author, my foot. Stop overreacting, Uncle. …And when have you ever seen me overdo it in photos?”
“Your first birthday party. You tried to grab the rice cake, got scolded by your mom with a ‘Hana, no!’ and started bawling. Then, you grabbed the rice cake again, waved your arms, and laughed so hard your nose ran like crazy. I still have that picture, you know.”
“Why are you bringing up ancient history…?”
Damn it, childhood baggage! My uncle pulled out the sneakiest fact only a guardian could wield.
“Even if genders change, why does embarrassing history stay the same…! Well, at least there’s no confusion about my past, so there’s that.”
The other giant, Kim Palgon, who had been listening to my embarrassing story, was smiling warmly with his tanned face.
His youthful appearance, with not a single wrinkle on his forehead, made him look like a man in his late 20s it felt strange.
“…”
No way.
I never imagined I’d reunite with the person who had given me CPR moments before I nearly died.
In his still-gruff voice, Kim Palgon said,
“My wife’s going to love seeing this photo. She was a big fan of Go Hana’s exhibitions. She’d look at the artwork and writing and cry her eyes out. Never thought the ‘Go Hana’ author was your niece, Mr. Park.”
“Heh heh, my niece sure made a lot of people cry!”
“Oh, don’t even get me started. My wife, who used to sing every night about wanting a son, suddenly said, ‘I think I’d be happy with a daughter too.’ You have no idea how shocked I was…”
“Haha! As expected of my little brother’s wife! She’s got great taste!”
My uncle seemed to puff up with pride, laughing heartily. He looked even happier as his old buddy from technical school praised me.
Suddenly, I remembered what my uncle had told me this morning.
“Palgon’s someone I was really close with back in technical school. He was the kind of guy who’d stick around and help out when everyone else ran away. He’s trustworthy enough that I’d leave you in his care without a second thought. Let’s meet him together.”
“…”
I spoke awkwardly to Kim Palgon.
“…Thank you for visiting the exhibition. And thank you for being good to my uncle too.”
At that, my uncle grumbled.
“What the…? If anyone heard you, they’d think you were the adult here. You rascal.”
Kim Palgon paid no mind to my uncle’s comment and replied,
“What are you saying? I should be thanking her for giving me such a moving exhibition to see.”
“W-wait, did you cry…?”
“Huh? Oh, I was talking about my wife. I didn’t cry. A true man knows how to save his tears for the right moments. Haha!”
Kim Palgon puffed out his chest and laughed heartily.
“…”
‘Some things never change. Or rather, technically, this is before the future.’
While I was used to encountering future acquaintances through Yoo Jin-sunbae’s time loops, meeting someone who had been with me in my final moments before death gave me an odd sense of unease.
To make matters worse, there was one more detail intensifying that unease.
‘Kim Palgon, you had such thick hair back then…’
Yes, his hair. A U-shaped balding pattern lay in his future.
Much later, the roots of Kim Palgon’s hair would meet their untimely demise, victims of his unbridled male hormones—a true mark of the macho ex-special forces man he was.
I recalled a moment from the “future.”
“I used to think my hair was falling out because of sunburn from being outside so much. But when I came to my senses, it was already all gone.
They say real men lose their hair faster, huh? Go-ssi, you’re a man among men too, so watch out for hair loss! You’ve gotta take care of it while you’re young! Hahaha!”
But…
Behind that boisterous laughter, there had been a hint of sorrow. Male pattern baldness had stolen even the pure exuberance of this ex-special forces hero.
“…”
‘I’ll tell him to start taking hair-loss medication early…’
I made a solemn resolution.
With that thought, the impromptu photo session concluded with a double-peace photo of me and Kim Palgon standing side by side.
Kim Palgon smiled contentedly as he looked at the photo file on the camera, while my uncle spoke up.
“It’s about time to eat. Since you’re here, let’s grab a meal together.”
“Ah, sounds good!”
“Hana, what do you feel like eating? Pizza? Chicken?”
“When did I say I wanted to eat out…? Let’s just get some kimchi stew from the place nearby.”
“Heh, knew you’d say that.”
Kim Palgon burst out laughing as he looked at me.
“Hahaha! I thought geniuses like you lived off dew and poetry, but you’ve got such ordinary tastes!”
“…What did you think I ate, Palgon Uncle?”
“Huh? Palgon Uncle?”
“Since you’re Uncle’s sworn brother, that makes you my Palgon Uncle, doesn’t it?”
“Ah, I see! Hahaha! Alright, let’s eat, Big Brother!”
“Let’s go.”
And so, we headed off to have our meal together.
*
The main discussion began after we finished lunch. Standing in front of the kimchi stew restaurant, sipping vending machine coffee, the topic was finally broached.
In a serious tone, my uncle spoke to Kim Palgon.
“Palgon, is your wife okay with you being away for four weeks? Especially since it’s an overseas trip—it couldn’t have been easy to get her approval.”
“Back when I was in the military, I was away all the time, except for our honeymoon. By now, we’re so used to it that being together for long stretches feels awkward. Haha! When I told her I’d be helping out Go Hana, she was actually jealous.”
“Your wife’s pretty bold, huh…”
“Of course! She’s the woman chosen by this manly man, Kim Palgon! Haha! Even if we have kids later, she’d march into the OB-GYN all on her own and come back with the baby in her arms like a champ! Hahaha!”
“Are you seriously planning on letting her do that?”
“…I’m just saying! Haha!”
“You rascal… Anyway, I’m counting on you to take good care of Hana.”
“Of course! Even though I left the military, a man like Kim Palgon can’t live life quietly. This is a chance to follow a genius author, see the world, and grow my horizons…I couldn’t say no!”
Kim Palgon thumped his broad chest with a hearty laugh. The sound was loud enough to make passersby near the kimchi stew restaurant or smokers nearby glance over curiously.
I sipped my vending machine coffee and chuckled to myself.
‘He really hasn’t changed, not one bit…’
Kim Palgon was a rough-edged man, but he had a good heart. Even though he said things like that, I knew he’d be frantic if his wife ever did become pregnant. In fact, I heard that’s exactly how it played out later.
‘Aside from his obsession with manliness, he’s got incredible skills and work sense. Together, we cleaned up every site we worked on.’
Having him on my side felt like gaining a mighty ally. With his hands-on expertise, setting up the exhibition would be a breeze.
‘I didn’t expect things to fall into place so easily…’
It felt almost too good to be true.
At a moment when I’d been stuck, it turned out that the person closest to my uncle was none other than Kim Palgon. And despite the fact that I’d promised fair pay, I still hadn’t expected him to agree to an overseas trip so willingly.
Paying someone like Kim Palgon generously didn’t feel like a waste at all. Even if I had to dip into the money I earned from previous exhibitions, I had no hesitation.
Of course, Kim Palgon did hesitate when he realized his pay would come from someone young enough to be his daughter. But when I explained it was a professional agreement between an artist and her assistant, he nodded earnestly.
“I left the military because it was dangerous, but I can’t just sit around doing nothing. If you’re offering me work, I’ll give it my all. Let’s work well together.”
“…Everything’s falling into place so perfectly.”
We spent the weekend with Kim Palgon, enjoying his boisterous company.
Even after I returned to school, I heard that my uncle and Palgon spent time drinking and reminiscing.
Solving big problems often paves the way for solving the smaller ones, too.
This saying doesn’t only apply to matters in the restroom.
The two biggest hurdles I faced transporting my artwork and finding a capable assistant for the exhibition had been resolved so naturally that everything else fell into place quickly.
*
<Comic Research Club> Room.
As usual, Juri, Mija, and Mari were each focused on their tasks, occasionally engaging in casual chatter.
I reported to them that preparations for the Japan Exchange Event were going well. Hearing this, they visibly brightened and congratulated me.
“Wow… preparing for an overseas exhibition. I can’t even imagine it.”
“J-Juri-chan, you don’t really have anything to do, though.”
“Well, that’s true. But still, pulling off such a big project on your own is impressive…”
“Y-yeah, it really is. I almost want to learn from watching you.”
“?”
Juri tilted her head in curiosity.
Mija hesitated, her mouth slightly opening as if to say something.
“…Um, Hana-chan.”
“Hmm? Me?”
“Well, you see…”
At that moment.
Mari, who had been busy preparing for the upcoming art fair exhibition, clapped her hands enthusiastically.
She then staggered over with tired steps and gave me a tight hug.
“Well done~”
“…”
Mari, who was always pristine and princess-like, smelled faintly of sweat.
Her skin looked a bit rough, and her hair was slightly dry. It was obvious she had been fully immersed in her preparations for the exhibition.
‘I never really noticed before because she always seems so relaxed, but when it comes to her work, she’s absolutely uncompromising.’
Seeing her like this made me feel determined to try even harder.
Looking at Mari, I replied.
“…Yeah.”
“So now all that’s left is to get ready to go, right?”
“Yeah, luckily, it seems Japan doesn’t require visas. As long as I have my passport, they’ll take care of the plane tickets and accommodation.”
“And the artwork?”
“I asked the teachers about it, and they connected me with a shipping company. They even prepared an estimate in advance, so all we have to do is hand over the packed pieces when they come to pick them up.”
“I see…”
With her eyes half-closed, Mari spoke in a strangely sluggish tone.
“Do your best. You can do it.”
“…Yeah.”
“…Yawn.”
“If you’re tired, why don’t you take a break?”
Mari rubbed her eyes and nodded, then staggered back toward her workspace.
It seemed she was heading for the sofa there to rest.
Mija and Juri exchanged wry smiles as they watched her retreat.
‘If it were any other time, she would’ve stayed longer. She must really be exhausted.’
Once Mari was out of sight, Mija spoke in a soft voice.
“Um, Hana-chan.”
“Yeah?”
“Can I… go to Japan too?”
“Huh? Oh… I don’t see why not.”
After all, Sanctuary of Saint Chris was a collaborative project by the Comic Research Club, and it would have been impossible to complete without the help of Juri and Mija.
‘Besides, the Japanese side said we could freely choose who from the school would accompany us…But it’s a little sudden to bring this up.’
I couldn’t help but ask Mija.
“But why so suddenly? Won’t it be hard to get permission from your family?”
“Well, it’s just… after looking at the workshop details, I thought it might be something really good for me to learn… A-and…”
With every word she spoke, Mija’s face turned redder and redder.
“…I-I want to visit a Japanese university… Just once, to see what it’s like.”
“…”
“…”
For Mija, an aspiring comic artist, this invitation, closely tied to commercial art, must have seemed incredibly appealing.
Juri and I exchanged smiles as we looked at her.
“Haha. Sure, I could use at least one Japanese interpreter. Let’s go together.”
“Y-yeah… Thank you.”
“No problem. You worked on this project too. Might as well make it a group—Juri, want to come along too?”
Juri shook her head decisively.
Mija scratched her head, looking a bit embarrassed.
“I-I see…”
“But will you be okay going alone?”
“W-well… If I go, my younger brother said he’s willing to cover his own expenses and come with me. Would it be okay if he joined us?”
“Oh, if it’s something like that, then sure.”
“A-actually, my younger brother’s much better at Japanese… He even studied abroad in Japan. He’s a university student, but he also helps out occasionally at our dad’s company’s overseas branch.”
“Then what about you, Mija?”
“Me? I’m… uh… just, y-you know, otaku-level Japanese.”
Mija’s face turned as red as an apple as she scratched her cheek in embarrassment.
Seeing her like that, we all burst out laughing.
And just like that, the group heading to Japan was decided: me, Kim Palgon, Mija, and her younger brother.
A total of four people.
By mid-May, we had finalized the coordination with Tokyo University of the Arts. After that, all that remained were smaller tasks, like getting passports issued, researching transportation, and preparing attendance recognition documents.
As we handled the whirlwind of preparations, a mix of anticipation and worry began to grow inside me. Now that the departure date was approaching, I couldn’t help but feel restless.
Time flew by as we stayed busy, and before we knew it, the day to head to Japan had arrived.
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