Being in the elevator alone with Harry Watson was quite a torment. The fact that Harry Watson was a bald white man who looked very unhappy added to my fear. I had recently seen a video online of a skinhead making racist remarks, and it was really scary.
I instinctively shrank back, feeling like I could get punched for any small mistake.
When the elevator reached the first floor and the doors opened, Harry Watson tapped my shoulder.
"Why do you look so scared? Did you see a ghost?"
"No, I was just thinking about something else for a moment."
I couldn't tell him it was because I was scared of him.
"I didn't get to greet you properly because I was thinking. You said your name is Tae Hyun-seok? Should I call you Tae or Hyun-seok? You can just call me Harry."
Unlike Katie Qubit, he didn't pronounce "Harry" with a thick accent and was wearing a big smile. His demeanor was the complete opposite of the grim look he had earlier. I silently apologized for having a prejudice against Harry Watson for a moment.
"I'd prefer if you called me Hyun-seok. Thank you for your help, Harry."
"Hyun-seok, Hyun-seok. Sounds good. You're the interpreter for Seba, right?"
"Yes."
"We'll talk more about the details on the way to Brighton. Is that all your luggage?"
I slightly lifted my suitcase as I replied.
"Yes."
"Great. Let's load it into the car. Have you eaten?"
"Yes, I had a quick meal at McDonald's..."
"That won't fill you up! If you've had breakfast, you should have brunch. Let's go have that before heading to Brighton."
I practically tossed my suitcase into the Land Rover Jeep and followed Harry as he strode ahead, throwing in a few questions.
"Are you a professional interpreter? Or are you planning to work at the agency long-term?"
"I'm planning to stay with the agency."
"Oh really?"
Harry scratched his shiny bald head with his remaining hand.
"Then you're about to see the behind-the-scenes of the industry."
He muttered in a low voice.
Behind-the-scenes?
We retraced the path I had taken for the interview and arrived at an antique-style café. The café's sign featured a red dragon, and as soon as I saw it, I realized that this must be the Red Dragon Katie mentioned.
As we entered, I understood why the café was named after the red dragon. The Welsh flag with the red dragon was displayed all around, and memorabilia from Cardiff City, the Welsh football team, decorated the place.
"Ah, I can't take this anymore. Hyun-seok, I need to wash my face for a bit. Wait here."
"Ah, okay. Take your time."
Harry, who had been leading me confidently, grew more serious as we approached the café. Once inside, he turned pale and rushed toward the bathroom.
Watching him dash off, I recalled what Katie Qubit had said earlier.
Chris is waiting here, and remember we're here for business.
Was Harry's stern expression related to some business issue with Chris? I turned my head and surveyed the people seated in the café. Chris must be among them.
And among the dining groups, I spotted two notable figures.
"Huh…"
In front of a neatly dressed man in a black suit stood an incredibly handsome guy with dark brown hair.
I was definitely attracted to women, but for a moment, my sexual identity wavered. He could easily outshine any model. He had a sullen face, yet for some reason, I felt compelled to comfort him.
Snap!
I needed to pull myself together. When I slapped my cheek, the people in the café looked at me like I was crazy. Still, the handsome guy just kept his head down. The man in the black suit said something to him and then got up.
He quickly walked toward the exit.
I turned my body as much as I could to let him out. The area in front of where I stood was quite narrow due to the tables, so I had to maneuver my body carefully.
But the man, in a hurry, collided with my shoulder.
"What the hell!"
The man in the black suit glared at me. I stood my ground without staggering, as I was quite athletic.
"You're that yellow bastard."
What?
"Chink, open your eyes when you walk."
He mimicked squinting his eyes at me and shoved my chin before heading out the door.
What the hell?
I was at a loss for words due to the absurdity of it all.
Shit, this is racism. It feels worse than I imagined. That bastard.
As anger washed over me, I was about to storm out of the café.
Zing.
"Hyun-seok! Come here!"
What's more important, settling my personal anger or starting my first day at work? I ultimately chose to stay in the café. I directed my remaining frustration toward my phone, which had been buzzing incessantly.
Who could it be?
I pulled out my phone and unlocked the screen. A small envelope icon appeared in the status bar, accompanied by +9.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and come!"
I completely ignored my phone and headed toward the table where Harry was calling. There sat the handsome guy who had just been speaking with that racist jerk.
"I knew it. I had a feeling."
"They said there won't be an extension on the contract. I'm really sorry. I know your situation..."
I began to understand Harry's earlier remarks about seeing the behind-the-scenes of the industry and his displeased demeanor.
The handsome guy, Chris, was a football player, and Harry had come to notify Chris that the agency would not be renewing his contract.
"I was somewhat prepared for this. The club already informed me. I guess it can't be helped since I'm not good enough?"
"Still! If the agency pushes hard enough, you could go to another team…"
"It's fine."
Harry couldn't bring himself to say more, looking apologetic. Chris was smiling brightly, but it felt somewhat artificial.
"I'm just going to play this season and slowly look for another career. I've received a few modeling offers, too."
"You can't do anything besides soccer, can you? Do you think you'll be okay?"
"Isn't that a bit harsh...? I have to give it a try."
Chris, who was still young and stood over 190 cm tall, seemed much more mature than Harry, who had a more rugged appearance. Despite having just spoken with the racist jerk, I found that Chris seemed unexpectedly nice as we talked.
"As for living expenses..."
"I have a sponsor now. I should be fine for a few months."
"Really? Who is it?"
"They don't want their name revealed."
"Oh?"
Chris smiled strangely, a mix of sadness and happiness in his expression. There was something unsettling about it, but it was just a feeling. Harry didn't seem to notice anything odd and just patted Chris on the shoulder.
"That's great. Make sure to contact me if anything happens."
"Don't worry."
Then Chris looked directly at me.
"By the way, who is this?"
"Oh, this is our new contract worker who started today."
"Ah."
Chris extended his hand for a handshake.
"Harry is really a great guy. You'll learn a lot from him."
"Ah... yes."
"Enough of the useless chatter. If you have a hard time, you must contact me. Say hello to Erin and Isabel for me."
"With a face like a bear, why are you so worried about me?"
Harry forced a big laugh at Chris's joke while playfully slapping his shoulder.
Chris stood up, hugged Harry, and then greeted me before leaving the café.
Harry watched the door where Chris had exited with a sad expression before saying we should order brunch and drinks.
While waiting for our order, Harry took out his phone and seemed to be browsing the web.
I guess it's okay for me to check what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent...?
Cautiously, I turned on my phone. The screen lit up, and I tapped on the messaging app.
"Huh?"
There was nothing there. I checked KakaoTalk and LINE, as well as other social media apps, but they were all empty.
What is this? I clearly saw a notification.
Bzzz.
Another vibration. I quickly glanced at the status bar. The message icon was the same as before, now showing +12.
Sliding down the status bar, I took a closer look.
On the larger screen, it was a different type of app from the standard messaging one. The envelope in the center had an "H" written on it.
Did I install something like this? I tilted my head in confusion and tapped on the +12.
The app was composed of only two colors: black and white. A white background featured four squares with black borders lined up in a row.
Inside each black-bordered square were familiar names.
[Aaron Ramsey] [Harry Watson] [Milo Connery] [Chris Allen]
My forehead furrowed involuntarily. There were no options or settings in the app.
Curious, I tapped on [Aaron Ramsey].
[Aaron Ramsey]
Current Ability: ★★★★★★
Favorite Team: Arsenal
Favorite Person: Arsène Wenger
My fingers moved quickly. Exiting Aaron Ramsey's screen, I tapped on [Chris Allen].
[Chris Allen]
Potential Ability: ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Current Ability: ★★★ (Position Mismatch)
Is in deep trouble.
*20 days left until deletion.
Then I checked [Harry Watson].
[Harry Watson]
Is depressed.
Likes fries buried in ketchup.
Likes diet cola.
I looked up at Harry. He was sitting next to a diet cola, squeezing ketchup onto the fries until they were completely buried.
What the hell?
Chills ran down my spine as I examined the app's content again and again.
I had been so focused that I didn't hear Harry calling me.
"What are you looking at?"
"Oh, nothing."
Yours has come up, too."
"Ah... thanks. But about Chris who just left, what's his last name?"
"It's Allen. Why do you ask?"
"He looks like someone I know. Enjoy your meal."
I mumbled something while ignoring the fish and chips in front of me and stared at the screen.
I went back to the home screen to check the app's name.
It was called Helper.
Is it a virus? Did I get hacked?
No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't remember installing such an app.
An app that reveals a person's full name, inner thoughts, and preferences at first glance.
It felt eerie, and I dragged the app towards the delete button.
[This application cannot be deleted.]
My hand froze.
I had completely lost interest in my meal. I searched through the Play Store and the internet for information about the app named Helper.
All I found was a white hand-shaped character promoting macaroni dishes. There were apps with the same name, but they had completely different icons.
I lost track of how long I was doing this when I finally looked up and realized I hadn't heard Harry eating.
"Do you know how many times I called you?"
Harry had his ketchup-soaked fries in his hand, chewing loudly as he spoke.
"Eat quickly; we need to leave soon."
Harry didn't look too happy.
"I guess you really like staring at your phone? These young people these days."
What am I doing?
It was clear that my first impression must be terrible. A smartphone addict ignoring the meal that someone bought for me!
Putting off figuring out the suspicious app, I decided I should enjoy the meal that Harry had bought for me.
I turned off my phone and picked up the fork to dig into the fish and chips, which England proudly boasts.