As I stared at her intently, Shin Yuri tilted her head and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You just remind me of someone from a girl group."
At my comment, Yuri smiled shyly.
"Hehe, so you like girl groups, senior?"
"Not really…"
Before I joined the military, I barely knew the names of the groups, let alone how many members they had or what their hit songs were.
But by the time I was discharged, I could recite the history of girl groups like a pro.
It wasn't just me. Every Korean soldier was the same. It's no exaggeration to say you could identify your enlistment year based on the popular girl group hits of the time. (This is a real thing.)
"Are you saying I'm pretty?"
"…."
Is that what I just implied?
We entered the café. Inside, there was a giant roasting machine and a wide selection of coffee beans neatly displayed.
Surprisingly, the prices weren't much different from other cafés.
"What do you want to drink?"
"Oh, I'll treat you, senior. What would you like?"
Since she insisted, there was no reason for me to pull out my wallet.
"Americano."
"Hot, since it's cold outside?"
"Sure."
Yuri ordered two of the same drinks.
We took our coffee and sat by the window on the second floor.
Even though she was just a junior, sitting face-to-face with a girl alone felt awkward. I didn't used to feel this way. Must be the military's fault.
To break the awkward silence, I thought about starting a conversation, but thankfully Yuri spoke first.
"What brings you to Gangnam, senior?"
"I'm visiting a friend's place for a bit."
She nodded in understanding.
"I see."
"What about you? What brings you here?"
"I live in Cheongdam-dong."
When people hear "Gangnam," they often assume everyone there is wealthy, but there's a significant disparity depending on the area.
Cheongdam-dong is one of the more affluent parts of Gangnam.
Could she be from a rich family?
Back in high school, I didn't really think about whether someone's family was well-off or not. Since schools were assigned based on neighborhoods, most of us came from similar socioeconomic backgrounds.
But university was a different story.
Korea University is one of the top schools in the country. Most students come from middle-class or modest families, but a noticeable portion come from the upper class.
Some were heirs of mid-sized businesses or even families with assets exceeding billions, even if they weren't tied to big-name corporations.
Unlike those who worried about tuition fees and living expenses, these students lived in the most expensive apartments near campus and drove imported cars their parents bought for them.
Yuri seemed hesitant, as if there was something she wanted to say.
"So why did you want to meet?"
At my question, she gave an awkward smile.
"I wanted to apologize to you."
"Apologize?"
"For what happened with Seonah senior."
"Ah…"
Yuri bowed her head slightly.
"I'm sorry. I don't usually attend department gatherings, so I didn't know about all that."
A few drinking sessions are usually enough to learn who's dating who in the department. Judging by her words, she must be a bit of an outsider.
I chuckled softly.
"It's fine."
She didn't know, so there wasn't really anything to apologize for. Even if she had known, it wouldn't have been something to apologize over.
Relieved, Yuri let out a small sigh.
"Hehe, I'm glad to hear that. I was a bit worried after you left like that last night."
Apparently, the drinking party fizzled out after Seonah and I left. Yuri, feeling partly responsible, decided to meet me to apologize.
"Are you returning to school next year?"
"Probably, unless something comes up."
"Then we'll take second-year classes together."
We chatted over coffee, discussing various topics. I hadn't noticed at the drinking party, but she seemed to have a pleasant personality.
As our conversation neared its end, Yuri hesitated before cautiously speaking up.
"Oh, I have a favor to ask you, senior."
"What kind of favor?"
"Well, um…"
We've barely met, and she already has a favor to ask?
Wait, could it be…?
Was the apology just an excuse, and she actually called me out to confess?
How should I respond?
Whether I like her or not, I've never dealt with this kind of situation before. Plus, I'm currently busy with investments.
If she confesses, should I turn her down?
But it'd be hard to reject someone this pretty. Still, I'm not ready for this right now…
In that brief moment, a whirlwind of thoughts raced through my mind.
Trying to maintain a calm expression, I waited as Yuri finally continued.
"I'm planning to get a new phone. Could you come with me? I'm worried I might get scammed if I go alone."
"Oh, sure."
What on earth was I thinking?
I really need to stop jumping to conclusions.
"I don't know much about phones, though."
For the record, Taekgyu would be the perfect person for this.
He barely spends money on food or clothes but spares no expense when it comes to electronics like phones, TVs, or game consoles.
He probably knows all the latest models, specs, and prices by heart.
"That's okay! Just having you there will be a big help."
I nodded.
"Alright."
We left the café together.
There was no need to go far—right across the street was an official SSK Telecom store. The first floor displayed phones, and the second floor housed a service center.
As we entered, an employee wearing a red uniform with a name tag approached us.
"How can I help you today?"
"I'd like to get a new phone," Yuri said.
The employee's face brightened.
"Do you have a specific model in mind?"
"Do you have the Seosung L6?"
"Of course! It's one of our most popular models right now."
Following the employee's guidance, Yuri sat down for a consultation.
They started discussing things like switching carriers, upgrading devices, installment payments, promotional discounts, points usage, and credit card benefits.
The conversation quickly became too technical for me to follow.
Buying a phone has gotten so complicated. No wonder people say you'll get ripped off if you're not careful.
Despite her initial concern, Yuri seemed to understand everything the employee was saying, asking detailed questions about each option.
"…."
If she knows this much, why did she even ask me to come?
While she was busy with the consultation, I wandered around the store. At the center of the display was the latest Seosung L6 model.
Before joining the military, I'd used the L3. Now they're already up to the L6. Time sure flies.
For reference, my current phone is a mid-range Seosung J2 model.
I picked up the L6 and inspected it. It was incredibly sleek and lightweight, with a clean design—definitely a top-tier device.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Right before my eyes, something like a hologram appeared out of nowhere.
No way…
What does this even mean?
"Senior, what's wrong? Is there something over there?"
Snapping back to reality, I realized Yuri was looking at me with a puzzled expression. The hologram had disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.
I quickly made up an excuse.
"Oh, it's nothing. It just looked like there was a mosquito flying around."
Yuri asked in disbelief, "In this weather?"
I smiled.
"Must've been my mistake."
No way, I actually saw it.
Is this finally the sign?
Yuri eventually bought the L6. Once her SIM and data transfer were complete, we left the store.
"They said the pink gold was out of stock, so I got the sky blue instead. This color looks pretty nice too, doesn't it?"
Doesn't it all get hidden under a case anyway?
Yuri seemed pleased with her new phone and kept admiring it.
"Back to being a contract slave. I guess I'll have to use this carefully for the next two years."
"That one's going to be discontinued soon."
Yuri looked at me in shock.
"What? Why?"
"..."
Afraid I might forget, I had been mulling it over, and the words slipped out of my mouth.
I laughed it off.
"Just kidding."
---
After parting ways with Yuri, I immediately ran to Taekgyu's house.
As soon as I entered, I grabbed Taekgyu, who was engrossed in his game, and shouted:
"L6!"
"What?"
"The Seoseong Electronics L6!"
Taekgyu pulled something out of his pocket and showed it to me.
"You mean this?"
It was the same phone Yuri had bought. Even the color was pink gold.
"Did you have to get it in pink?"
"A real man chooses pink."
I tried to tell him what had just happened, but Taekgyu, looking at my empty hands, asked:
"But you didn't bring lunch?"
"..."
Is a lunchbox really what's important to you right now?
I quickly summarized what had happened at SSK Telecom. Upon hearing it, Taekgyu asked in surprise:
"You're saying that when you touched the L6, a hologram popped up, and it said 'L6 Discontinued'?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
The word "discontinued" literally means production and sales will cease.
Taekgyu began explaining the smartphone market to me.
"Seoseong Electronics releases a wide range of smartphones, from high-end to budget models. Among them, the L series is their flagship line."
The current smartphone market could easily be described as a battleground for global electronics companies.
Among them, the high-end market is essentially dominated by two players: Enple's Enphone and Seoseong's L series.
Although Chinese companies like Obona and Bepho have made strides in recent years, they primarily rely on mid- to low-tier phones in their domestic market. They've yet to make a significant mark in the high-end segment.
"Well, even if it's a two-way fight, Enple dominates when it comes to high-end phone sales and profit margins. That's why Seoseong Electronics poured everything into developing the L6, aiming to beat the Enphone. There are even rumors that its design and performance surpass the Enphone 6."
Perhaps due to such high praise, the L6 was flying off the shelves, with certain colors already out of stock.
The previous generation, the L5, had global sales of about 50 million units—a staggering number in itself. The L6, however, was projected to exceed 70 million in sales.
Taekgyu looked puzzled.
"It's selling well worldwide. So why would they discontinue it?"
"What reasons could there be for discontinuation?"
At my question, Taekgyu seemed to have a sudden realization.
"Ah! Could it be due to a patent dispute?"
"A patent dispute?"
"They say a single smartphone involves over 200,000 patents—everything from communication frequencies to semiconductors, components, functions, and even design."
Seoseong Electronics isn't just a major IT manufacturer in Korea; it's one of the top in the world. Naturally, it's been involved in numerous patent disputes across various countries.
One particularly famous case was the "lawsuit of the century" with Enple during the early days of the smartphone era.
"But weren't most of the patent issues resolved?"
Even if a company loses a patent dispute, it usually ends with paying damages or licensing fees, rather than halting sales entirely.
Moreover, patent disputes are incredibly complex, often taking years to resolve. By the time a ruling mandates a sales ban, the model in question is usually no longer on the market.
Taekgyu nodded.
"True. When it comes to patents, Seoseong is more often the aggressor than the defendant."
Unlike Enple, which pioneered the smartphone era, or the other companies that joined the market later, Seoseong had been making phones since the CDMA era.
As a result, it held an immense number of communication and technology patents, even by global standards. In fact, during its design patent dispute with Enple, Seoseong counterattacked using its communication patents and achieved some success.
So what could it be?
Why is it being discontinued?