ILLÜSIA

“I was young here. Riding the subway with my small book as though to defend myself against the same world: you are not alone, the poem said, in the dark tunnel.”

“But most of all, I like to watch people. Sometimes I ride the subway all day and look at them and listen to them. I just want to figure out who they are and what they want and where they are going.”

well,  when  was  the  last  time  he  has  been  at  a  loss  of  words?  even  in  his  sleep  dohyun  is  known  to  mumble  his  dreams  or  whatever  is  crossing  his  mind  in  this  moment.  for  awhile  it’s  been  him  against  the  world  ─  or  maybe  not  as  dramatic,  only  the  company  he  used  to  work  for  and  their  enemies,  one  of  which  is  currently  sitting  merely  a  few  inches  away  from  him.

he  might  have  looked  at  a  couple  files  of  former  employees  and  he  might  have  picked  this  guy  …  not  so  randomly.  there  has  been  something  about  his  story  that  reminded  dohyun  in  some  aspects  of  his  own  situation.  he  has  taken  the  file  with  him,  just  so  to  do  another  victim  a  favour.  it  seems  as  if  his  father  still  observes  a  couple  of  his  ex-employees.  the  papers  are  now  on  the  table  in  between  them.

Kangdae who thinks himself rather an exceptional young man, in the fuss of the break time, turns around to his company, his elbow now placed leisurely on the backlean of the other’s chair. “It doesn’t matter whether he trusts you”, he begins, his lips drawn into a smug smile. “I keep work-talk for work-time.” It sounds like an excuse, but what Kangdae really means is, you don’t know how to play this game yet. He watches the other adjust his jacket and finds his assumption confirmed. He seems a little over-enthusiastic in the way he speaks, jumps from extremes far too much for Kangdae‘s taste. “From the sound of it, he’s right in not trusting you.”

Kangdae excuses himself for another drink and beckons the other to follow. Once in the mainhall, he takes course for the bar and stops there, knowing the other has followed him. He doesn’t have to give an order at the bar, having frequented the theatre on many occasions that some of the staff even recognised him on a personal level - on top of the fact that he is a well known name mingling among the rich.