Neon lights glowed ever so brightly with signs deeply imbedded on them. The smell of fried chicken wafted through our noses. The restaurant was packed with tens of youth struggling for a chance to get a taste of the cooked bird before it sold out. Strikingly contrasting was a pastry shop opposite the booming restaurant. It was painfully empty. A grain of sand could be thrown and it would touch the ground. Hyung sat idly behind the counter, watching the chicken place boom with customers.
There was a creaking sound and an old man walked gingerly from the door. It was the owner of this aging shop who'd stepped through the back door. "Sir, are you leaving?" asked Hyung with concern. Despite the losses that the shop incurred, the owner still paid him and made cakes with a smile on his face. "Yes, son. Make sure you don't stay too late and don't get in trouble" smiled the old man at the young teen. He waved and walked out of the shop; into the harsh world.
Hyung waved at him and looked around. "I guess I'll have a cake then" he thought. The owner let him eat pastries that had been on the shelf for weeks. He took one that had caught his eye and sat with it. The cake still looked delightful. A beautifully crafted chocolate cake. He cut into it and watched it split in half. He took a bite into it and his mouth was enthralled by the tastes that bathed his tongue. It tasted exquisite. "Why don't people come more often then?" he asked himself as he ate the cake
The clock ticked eleven. "Closing time then" he thought. Closing up the shop wasn't that difficult. After all, it was as clean as it was in the morning. Not a single sign of human interaction was even at the front door. He walked out and locked the door behind him. He looked at the sign that screamed "I'M DEAD!!!" from its flickering lights and dim letters that read 'SWT CAE" instead of "SWEET CAFÉ". He looks at the opposite shop that had bright neon lights. "Looks nice"
He walks down the neon-soaked streets of Seoul. The bright lights pierced into his eyes and the damp earthy smell of his surroundings drifted into his nose. It felt safe. The streets were empty and he felt like he was alone in the world. He walked on until he reached a dead end. He looked at the cloudy sky and thought "It looks like it's gonna rain hard". Hyung turned around and made another journey back to the shop.
The darkening clouds and loud thundering invites the rain to fall in a drizzle. The little rain had seeped through his clothes by the time he returned to his work place. "I'm back" he said as he walked into the shop. Walking into the worker's room behind the counter, he peels his coat from his body. He begins to lay a futon on the long bench by the window. Lying down, he looked at the bright lights fighting against the dark clouds that threatened to cover their brilliance. He rested his eyes and the loud thunder that heralded the rainfall lulled him to sleep.
A loud sound woke him up. He jumped up from the bed only to see it was his alarm ringing for him to wake up. He stretched his body and went outside for a quick early morning jog. He'd usually go out for an hour but today he decided to cut it short and went for a thirty minute run. Finishing quickly, he got back to work early and cleaned the settled dust that had accumulated over the week. He was just finishing when he heard the front door jingle and the old owner walked in.
"Oh. You're here early, sir" he said, surprised that the man was able to still get here in the mornings. "You're hard at work again. I just thought I'd make a little early visit" he answered. "Thank you sir" Hyung replied and finished up his work. The day went as slowly as it began. "No customers again as usual" he thought as he stared outside the window at their rival shop opposite them. He was lost in thought when the owner passed him a cake.
"Eat up kid" he said. "Thank you very much" Hyung appreciated enthusiastically. They both watched the booming shop. "Ummmm, sir, aren't you annoyed at the....you know....them?" Hyung asked pointing at the booming store. The owner simply smiled at him. "Have you ever heard a saying 'A widower knows a widow's sorrow'?" the man asked. "No. What does it mean?" The old man stands up and pats his head. He then says "Be happy at the happiness of others" and walks to the door. "Tonight, I want you to follow me somewhere. Could you?" he asked. "Oh…..okay then" Hyung replied. The doorbell rattled signifying a person had just left. Hyung was left alone with his thoughts. "Be happy at their happiness" he thought. He shook his head vigorously "Nah. Not happening"
Night approached swiftly and the clock struck 6PM. Hyung got dressed, waiting for the old man to arrive. He walked outside and locked the door. The weather was clear. Everything seemed nice. "Nice weather isn't it?" the old man asked behind him. "Good evening sir" Hyung greeted. "How's the day going?" the man asked with a smile. "It's been okay. If I may ask, where are we going?" "Just come with me".
The old man led Hyung through a series of back alleys filled with drunken homeless people scavenging through the trash, looking for their meal. The fierce smell of smoke and cocaine forced their way through his nose. As he walked by some of the men, he felt insecure. Their presence choked him. It made breathing impossible for him. "Sir, are you sure this is the right place?" he asked, covering his nose with his hands. "Don't you trust me?" "I do but this place doesn't seem like a place you'd go through" "Hahaha. We're almost there. Just hold on"
"Ah! We're here" exclaimed the old man. They stood in front of a club, blaring music from all sides at volumes that could get people deaf. "Sir!! What are we doing here?" Hyung questioned. "Just walk in and you'll see" the man said and pushed Hyung through the door