The time is 5:10 AM.
With the notification sound of a beeping smartphone, I opened my eyes groggily in the hotel room.
Before my searching hand could find the smartphone, it first brushed against something pressed tightly between my chest and neck.
It was Shiyeon’s arm, whose sleeping habits weren’t the best.
When I managed to open my sleepy eyes a bit more, I had ended up as the pillow she embraced.
Carefully lifting my limbs, which were awkwardly positioned, I got out of bed, greeted by a light rustle of cloth against skin.
“Ugh….”
I stretched without strength, letting out a groan to loosen my stiff body a bit.
Then I unplugged the charger I had used diligently last night from the wall outlet.
I packed everything I had brought back into the bag without missing a single item.
Though the hotel checkout is until 11, it’s a situation that requires tight preparation if I want to have breakfast and stand in line by 6 or 7.
I put the disposable toothbrush, which I had used last night, back into my mouth along with some toothpaste and washed my hair under the shower.
The loud sound of water droplets splattering on the bathroom floor rang irregularly.
When I stepped out with my drenched hair squeezed dry with a slightly wet towel and grabbed the hairdryer, I found Shiyeon sitting lethargically on the bed with sleepy eyes.
“Wash your hair and get dressed.”
“Mm…”
With her eyes still closed, Shiyeon responded but didn’t move.
At this rate, she wouldn’t get up on her own.
Holding the hairdryer with one hand, I poked her tired-looking torso repeatedly while sitting on the bed.
“Get up, keep still, aren’t you getting up?”
“Ugh, huff, ugh!”
With each broken sentence, I poked her once more.
Shiyeon, twisting like a pretzel from ticklishness, displayed a rich change of expressions that made it hard to tell whether she was laughing or angry.
Finally, her eyelids lifted with a big motion.
Shiyeon stretched her arms toward the ceiling with sleepy eyes, letting out a noise like ‘ugh!’, and immediately started fiddling with her smartphone.
To wake up, focusing on something is the best.
That’s why some mobile alarm functions have simple math problems baked into them.
Of course, I wasn’t the type to need that much help waking up, so after turning off the alarm, I gathered my senses by briefly checking my messenger app or browsing the web.
“It’s already 25 minutes!”
“Yeah…”
Like I might be late, I looked to the side and mentioned the time to hurry her.
Finally, she pushed the blanket off and answered, moving towards the bathroom.
After returning the room card key, we left the hotel at 5:42 AM.
If there’s a restaurant worth eating breakfast at 5 AM, it’s just the convenience store at most.
Although I thought about what to eat in the morning, I regrettably failed to consider that there weren’t any nearby restaurants always open.
‘If I had known, I would have bought a hamburger for breakfast.’
Swallowed by a short regret, I moved on, acknowledging that the time gone would not return, and left the past behind.
The 24-hour Kimbap Cheonguk was now just a memory, with the kimbap shops firmly shut.
These days, finding a restaurant that’s actually open 24 hours is a tough task.
In the end, we decided to have a convenience store eating experience and moved to a familiar convenience store with a bright blue sign near home.
Compared to the cup ramen section overflowing with options, the triangular kimbap and lunch box section was sporadically filled, almost looking incomplete.
From there, I picked the lunch box priced at 7,800 won, which hadn’t sold even until the end.
But then again, if you’re Korean, it’s all about rice power.
One heavy lunch box in my left hand and a chocolate milk drink in my right.
After selecting everything I needed, I went to the cup ramen section, where I sensed some liveliness.
“Have you picked everything?”
“Um, not yet.”
Shiyeon squatted down, making sure her bottom didn’t touch the floor.
She held a Jeonju bibim gimbap in one hand, contemplating for a long time before finally selecting a tempura udon cup ramen.
Perhaps it was the chilly winter day that made her crave warm broth.
I thought I should have opted for that combination instead of the lunch box… and silently swallowed my second regret of the day as I headed to the checkout counter.
Beep, beep, beep… the dry and regular sound of the barcode scanner echoed.
“It’s 12,500 won.”
The expression of the part-timer behind the checkout counter looked as hollow as everything else in the world, leaving quite the impression in the early morning.
With a whir, my lunch box spun around inside the microwave.
The salty aroma of the powdered soup for the tempura udon soaked in hot water began to waft through the convenience store.
After the signal of the microwave rang out twice, I retrieved my portion of the lunch box.
The lunch box felt floppy compared to before I put it in the microwave.
Before the heat could escape from my fingers gripping the edge of the lunch box, I hurriedly transferred it to the table near the microwave.
“Ouch…”
Even so, I couldn’t completely avoid the heat; I pulled my hand back hastily right after placing the lunch box on the table and rubbed my fingers together.
The heat from the tips of my fingers faded almost instantly as I split the wooden chopsticks I received at the checkout.
In my hurried state, the split handles of the chopsticks were far from even; one side had a much larger proportion, making them look awkward and undesired.
They would likely be featured in an unflattering collection of photos.
After tidying up my eating space, I sipped my chocolate milk while walking outside.
Hugging my body against the cold, I checked my smartphone and saw that it was 6:03 AM.
The dark sky was beginning to swirl with the blue hues of dawn.
Click-click, the sound of the contents of the hot pack shaking.
The more my body shrank from the cold, the busier my wrist was shaking the hot pack.
Shaking the pack up and down would look silly, so I lifted it sideways, palm facing up.
On this promised day, we took steps towards the same destination.
Without needing to ask Shiyeon, who was more familiar with this area than I was, where to go.
The long lines stretching outside the building on this frigid winter day guided us like arrows.
‘No way, is this really the extent of it?’
I had heard the official entry wouldn’t be until 10:30 AM, yet the line of people was at least 30 meters long outside the building.
It was obvious that those who had resigned themselves to fighting against time were the ones swaddled in layers of clothes.
Among the people waiting in line, I could also catch glimpses of brightly colored hair giving off an undeniable aura of cosplay.
Green, purple, and pale pink.
Colors that were completely unthinkable for everyday wear.
‘You mean we’ll have to wait for another four and a half hours like this…?’
The hands shaking the hot pack became even busier.
By the time the battery I had fully charged at the hotel dropped to 15 percent and sent out a warning alarm, it was still only 9 AM.
Most of the people around me were sneezing or sitting on small mats spread on the ground, fiddling with game consoles.
Slowly but surely, the hand warmers and hot packs I brought were starting to run low as well.
There were even people employing deceitful tactics, with friends stepping in to replace them at the front of the line.
Must be someone waiting in line on their behalf, huh?
Those shameless… but, I pitied them, you know?
Honestly, I felt a bit of envy inside while I barely endured till 10:30 AM.
Still, whether it was a privilege of those who were already in line or something else… once the line moved, it disappeared quickly with rapid guidance.
Finally, when we entered the building, it was still cold, but much better than the harsh wind that had slapped my cheeks outside.
Once inside, there was hardly any time to look around before swiftly heading inside.
Like locusts descending upon grains.
The multitude of indistinct voices blending together was almost incoherent, with people buzzing around busily.
Some were hastening toward their clear destinations, while others were distracted, getting swept along in the crowd.
Meanwhile, some were busy snapping photos as if to capture the moment.
And then there were those who were frantically purchasing various items like it was their paycheck being flushed down.
Even those cosplaying nonchalantly wandered here and there.
All of them mingled together, creating a chaotic scene.
“Mary, let’s go over there!”
“Uh, okay…”
In contrast to the proactive Shiyeon, I found myself at a loss for what to do in a place like this.
Without chance for me to observe and take in the sights, my thoughts just went blank.
Holding my hand, Shiyeon maneuvered us through the crowd until we reached a booth filled with male characters.
Upon closer inspection, it was a sports anime.
“Give me one of each acrylic kind!”
“Thank you!”
Thick acrylic plates adorned with characters.
SD characters, in other words… chibi-like figures with oversized heads striking various poses, perfect as simple merchandise.
“Is this what you came to buy?”
“Ehehe, cute, right?”
Shiyeon proudly displayed her successful haul.
Since it was something she liked, I had no intention of saying anything against it…
But if someone were to ask if it was worth getting up at the crack of dawn and waiting in the cold for hours just to purchase, well…
‘Well, value is relative…’
Having come this far, I began to circle around the exhibition hall with the mindset of at least looking at as many things as I could and snapping some photos.
Then, something caught my eye: booths related to magical girls.
Naturally, I couldn’t help but be interested.
From the acrylic plates Shiyeon purchased, to stickers, cushions, badges, mouse pads and even manga that featured us as the characters.
While the quality varied from booth to booth, there was still a thought that crossed my mind.
‘It’s better than the official stuff.’
The official products directly offered by the country were less reasonable both in price and quality compared to these.
Nearby, adults cosplaying as magical girls were wandering around.
While their body types were somewhat small, the physical difference was evident, leaving no room to replicate the physique, which could only be achieved by bringing a child along to cosplay.
Regardless, there was cosplay.
The outfits were of magical girls, with some covering their faces with masks as well.
‘Is that… me?’
… It was my cosplay.
I mean, sure, it would be comfortable because I wouldn’t have to do my makeup or anything.
The real costumes fit the magical girl theme, and carrying a gun would definitely be true to the intensity of the cosplay.
Then suddenly, Shiyeon stopped at a booth and pointed at a badge.
“Give me this one and that one!”
“Yes, thank you!”
Shiyeon quickly purchased two badges that had us drawn as characters.
With a gesture that seemed to signal to turn around, she waved her hand to one side and attached one of the badges to her bag.
Then, as if she intended to attach another one to her bag, she loosened a strap and swung the bag to the front, adjusting the clip.
In her hand was a Sun character badge, so it was obvious that my bag would have the Mun badge.
Isn’t that reversed?
Leaving the booth with a proud expression, Shiyeon adjusted her bag again.
I couldn’t help but ask the bouncy Shiyeon.
“Why is mine this and yours that?”
“Because we’re both fans of each other!”
The response came back simply.
In a sense, we are each other’s fans; well… I can’t disagree.
Is it like a couple outfit or something?
“Oh, it feels like that…”
Not exactly understanding the sentiment, I replied with a half-hearted acknowledgment.
