Hey, how about a time trade?
Hey, how about a time trade? 03
박지민
“I guess you’ve never traded time before.”
한여주
“Are you asking me if I have time right now..?”
박지민
"Are you crazy? Why would I do this to you? I'm just suggesting a win-win deal."
한여주
“What is that...”
박지민
“Okay, 300 million won in 10 years. Isn’t that a decent offer?”
한여주
“Hey mister, what the hell are you talking about? How do you waste time...”
For a moment, my grandmother's words flashed through my mind.
할머니
“Time is life.”
한여주
“Huh...!”
박지민
"What's wrong? Is Pay too weak? Then give me a little more..."
한여주
“Sir, you’re from a country that buys and sells time, right?”
박지민
“?”
한여주
“My grandmother told me that time is life, and there is a country that buys and sells it.”
한여주
“That’s why I came here. But actually meeting you… Is there a number or something on your arm?”
박지민
“Pfft,,, phew”
한여주
“Why...are you like that?”
박지민
“Honey, are you trying to fool around with me? It’s kind of cute, but I don’t have time right now.”
박지민
“Wouldn’t it be better to quickly and quickly finish the deal?”
The old man said in a kind voice,
I felt a chill somewhere.
한여주
“I’m not kidding… Would you believe me if I told you I came from another world?”
박지민
“Haha.. It’s a different world, honey. Do you want to be a writer when you grow up?”
한여주
"I'm telling you, it's not that I want to be a writer, it's that I'm serious...? I don't even know how to buy and sell time."
The old man's expression gradually hardens.
박지민
“Put your wrist on it.”
한여주
“No, sir, show me your wrist first..”
박지민
“Fuck... Do I look like I’m joking? I’m giving you money, right?”
I was a little scared by the old man's split personality.
I acted more and more brazenly.
한여주
“Then we don’t have to trade, right? Haha. Then I don’t have to show it anymore, right?”
한여주
“Honestly, you brought me here without my consent.”
Whoosh-
Suddenly, the man reached out to grab my wrist.
But luckily it missed and after that we started a physical fight as one person trying to show the arm and the other trying to hide it.
Thud-
After a long struggle, my wrist finally gave out and was grabbed by the old man.
박지민
“Ha..ha...how can this kid be so strong?”
박지민
"Now, if I just check how much time I have left..."
박지민
"uh,,?"
박지민
“You don’t have any time on your wrist, do you?”
한여주
“Huh...Huh...That’s why I said I’m not from another world.”
박지민
“How are you alive when you don’t have any time on your wrist?”
한여주
“Can you stop answering the same question and just believe what I say?”
박지민
“I guess I need to look into this further..”
한여주
“Can you just disappear from my sight without investigating?”
Thud-
박지민
“Chaeta, there are times when I go with you.”
The man grabbed my wrist and put me in a long limousine that seemed to be his car.
한여주
“Sir, this is definitely kidnapping, right?!”
박지민
"Honey, if you do it right, you could be a huge help in extending my life. Consider it a lifesaver and come with me for now."
The man patted my arms, made eye contact with me, and spoke to me in a completely different way than before.
한여주
“...You’re not doing any biological experiments or anything, are you?”
박지민
“Don’t worry, it’s not like that.”
한여주
‘Anyway... he was so unreasonable from the moment I saw him. What kind of person is that?’
한여주
‘But I’ll help you, so let’s trust me.’
한여주
"Okay... I'll trust you just this once."
The limousine that carried me like that continues to head somewhere.
한여주
“...”
박지민
“...”
한여주
“...Do you live alone, sir?”
박지민
“I don’t look like I’m married, do I?”
한여주
“I was just asking. Why? Do you feel hurt because it seems like you’re old?”
박지민
“It’s not exactly like that, but I’ve lived long enough, so it does sting a little, right?”
한여주
“How long have you lived?”
박지민
103 years, 199 days, 55 hours, 10 minutes, 3 seconds
한여주
“Huh..? How do you live so long as a liar?”
박지민
"What do you mean, living long? My father outlived me by 56 years."
한여주
“..Now?”
박지민
“..he passed away. He could have easily bought his life with money.”
한여주
“Even though I could have bought it with money..?”
At my question, the old man's expression darkened, as if he were recalling something.
한여주
"Did I ask the wrong question? Let's ask something else."
한여주
“Do you think that anything is possible if you have money?”
박지민
"Of course."
한여주
“Ah...yes”
박지민
“...”
한여주
“...”
한여주
“...Where are we going now?”
박지민
"casino"
한여주
"yes...?"
한여주
‘What on earth does this guy do for a living?’
I had many questions, but I put them aside and just stared out the window.
Outside the window where nothing had been visible, city lights began to appear one by one.
한여주
“Sir, have we arrived?”
박지민
“No, we’ve arrived in the city, but this is a slum, so we have to go a little further.”
한여주
“A slum...? Isn’t this where everyone lives like an old man?”
박지민
“Ha.. So you weren’t lying when you said you didn’t know about this country?”
한여주
"So you thought I was lying to you all this time? I don't know anything beyond what my grandmother told me."
한여주
“Ah.. that’s the story my grandmother told me!”
한여주
“I heard that people in the slums sell their lives for money to barely make ends meet... right?”
박지민
"That's not wrong. To be precise, they are the same being."
한여주
“Then what about people like you, sir?”
박지민
“Of course lol Do I look like one of those bugs that wanders around here begging?”
한여주
“Wow… he really is a piece of shit.”
I looked out the window again and saw some shabby people.
Those people were staggering along, and when they saw the limousine we were in, they rushed towards us like zombies and started shouting something.
???
“Please save me! My son only has 3 minutes left!”
???
“Please save me.. I only have 13 seconds left..”
한여주
“Sir! People outside the window, there’s not much time left. Aren’t you going to die like this..?”
I looked at the man with an urgent voice, but the man frowned and muttered.
박지민
“You fucking bugs... why do you keep trying to stick to me?”
한여주
“Sir, can’t you hear me? I said there are people shouting outside the window. You have a lot of time on your hands, so you should help me..!”
Jiying-
After saying that and opening the window, the sound became clearer.
Squeak (car stops)
박지민
“Close the door, it’s noisy.”
한여주
“Sir, you really have no sympathy?..”
박지민
"Why should I help them when they're selling their time because they have no money? After all, it's their choice."
한여주
"...still"
I looked out the window again with sad eyes.
at that time
한여주
“Hey, what is that person doing..?”
I made eye contact with a man who was crying and hugging another man.
전정국
“My brother…please save me.”