The pen in his hand moved, making a pleasant scratching sound. It seemed he had indeed written a lot, as his movements were very familiar. When I quietly observed him, he glanced at me.
"Why."
"Well, you can read too, can't you?"
"Of course."
"Then why don't you do something other than manual labor? Something you can do while sitting."
"Who would hire someone like me? They'd hire someone more excellent and educated. They say a smart person's writing looks better."
His words, though disheartening, were spoken so calmly. He didn't seem bothered at all. But the meaning behind them was not light. Instead, his calmness seemed to reveal the discrimination he had faced up until now.
Status can be as discriminatory as it is different. Moreover, the discrimination is even more severe for those whose status is uncertain.
I hadn't experienced the feeling of being expendable, but I had felt it bone-deep.
Knowing this, I couldn't easily bring up the topic. When I remained silent, he didn't say anything more. The scratching sound of the pen filled the room again. But the brief silence was heavier and more uncomfortable than before. Eventually, I broke the silence.
"Why do you like Alicia so much?"
"Her name is Alicia?"
"…You didn't even know her name and you asked me to introduce you?"
"Ah, I've never talked to her before."
His stammering made me sigh. The moment I tried to get serious, it was ruined. He shouted in frustration.
"I, I could not know!"
"Sure, sure. So why do you like her?"
He calmed down and blushed as he answered. I frowned, feeling like I was seeing something I shouldn't. He answered shyly.
"Because she's pretty."
It was a blunt answer, but not entirely incomprehensible.
She is my blood, but Alicia's appearance is truly flawless. She is beautiful. After a lifetime of grooming and adornment, how could she not be?
Of course, Alicia was well aware of her strengths. She would put on airs to seduce men and enjoyed being confessed to.
But Alicia had no interest in him. None at all. His predetermined future was truly pitiful.
"Do you just like her because she's pretty?"
"Not just pretty, but incredibly so. I fell in love at first sight. She was so beautiful even when she was just standing there. She's the perfect woman I've been looking for. When our eyes met, she smiled at me, and it felt so good."
His face lit up as he recalled their first meeting. Despite his detailed explanation, it all boiled down to her beauty. He was really smitten. I scratched my neck and shook my head.
"You've never even spoken to her, right?"
"Still… Have you never felt excited just by looking at someone?"
He suddenly asked. I was about to say no, but the newspaper article I had just read flashed through my mind. The well-matched couple, their affectionate smiles.
Then, the calm face that had once looked at me resurfaced. The trivial conversations we had while sitting across from each other, my stiff and awkward behavior, and the way he would look at me with those wide eyes. That unfamiliar smile.
"Hey, hey. Why are you like that?"
His hand waved in front of my face. The affectionate man disappeared, and a man with wide eyes appeared. Seeing his concerned face, my dazed mind snapped back. I let out a bitter laugh. Sometimes, long-forgotten memories resurface vividly.
I shouldn't let this happen. It's because of the newspaper I just read. I shouldn't have read it.
I laughed bitterly and buried my face in the paper. The man kept trying to look at my face. I buried my face deeper to avoid his gaze. The words were blurry, but I didn't want to show my obviously strange face. Long bangs are useful in such moments.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"No."
"What?"
"No, I've never felt that way. Not at all."
"…."
"Also, give up on Alicia. You two don't match."
I whispered, ending the conversation. I focused on writing, pressing the pen hard against the paper, making the scratching sound louder.
"By the way, when did you learn to read?"
"A long time ago."
"A long time ago, when?"
"…."
Silence was a warning not to ask. When I didn't respond, the gaze on my head felt uncomfortable. I expected him to ask why I was ignoring him, but he didn't say anything more.
The day here passes quickly. I received today's wages and held them in my arms. Writing is quite a profitable job.
When I opened the door, the sky was tinged red. I stared blankly at it when he tapped my shoulder.
"Hey, what's your name?"
"Why are you asking?"
"We'll be seeing each other often, so it's good to know. My name is Johnny."
He greeted brightly. I looked at his beaming face with a blank expression.
"You don't need to know."
"What?"
"Don't pretend to be close."
Forming relationships with people is a headache. Five years have passed, so there's no reason to run away, but I still want to be careful. Besides, I've never had a good experience with people who are interested in Alicia. They keep pestering me to introduce them, which is annoying. It's better to avoid such trouble in advance.
I turned away from his surprised face. The street was bustling with people. Perhaps because a large square was located behind the adjacent building, this area was usually crowded with shops and street vendors. But at dusk, it was so crowded that it was hard to walk. As a result, I kept bumping into people while walking.
Just then, a crowd was pouring out of the square. While pushing through the crowd, I suddenly realized I had forgotten my bag. I had completely forgotten about it while lost in thought. I sighed and turned around.
As I pushed through the crowd again and reached Emily's house, I saw someone standing in front of it. Two adult men in black coats and black hats with narrow brims were talking to Emily.
Emily looked annoyed as she dealt with them, but the men had serious expressions.
Who are they? I also held my breath and observed them.
Then, someone tapped my shoulder. My body froze, and I couldn't even scream. My mouth opened slightly, and my eyes darted around. Who is it, who is it? Who is it? I forced my stiff body to move and turned around.
I met the face of the man who had introduced himself as Johnny, looking surprised.
"Hey, why are you like that?"
"…Haha."
The tension in my body suddenly released. I let out a sigh of relief. The man who had introduced himself as Johnny was standing behind me. Confirming his face, I relaxed.
"What are you doing here?"
"I forgot my bag… Why are you still here?"
"I was about to leave. But you! You ignored me and left!"
"Why are you shouting? It's noisy."
"What? Hey!"
He shouted, and I panicked, clamping my hand over my mouth. The men were still in front of Emily's house. Glancing back, Johnny squirmed and struggled. I dragged him into the alley next to us.
After hiding, I let him go. Johnny immediately spat out saliva. It wasn't that bad, but I let it slide. I hid behind the wall and observed Emily's house again.
Johnny, who saw me doing this, asked what I was looking at. I whispered to be quiet. My eyes were still fixed on the men talking to Emily.
When I didn't respond, Johnny quietly stood behind me and looked ahead.
"Oh, they're at it again."
"Do you know who they are?"
Surprised, I asked, and he looked at me as if I should know.
"Don't you? They're the ones who have been going around looking for people."
"Looking for people?"
"Yeah. They're looking for people to work. They've become quite famous recently. Two men in black clothes with a dark aura. It fits them perfectly."
"Famous?"
"Yeah. They also look a bit creepy. The conditions are funny."
Johnny suddenly laughed, as if recalling the conditions. When I gestured with my eyes to ask what they were, he continued.
"They only look for pretty people."
"What?"
"Everyone who received their offer is either a beautiful woman or a handsome man. In short, appearance is the condition. They say the employment conditions are also incredibly good."
He also mentioned that someone he knew had received an offer. I looked ahead again. Emily was gone, and the two men in black were talking to each other. The surroundings were noisy, so I couldn't hear what they were saying.
They only look for pretty or handsome people? The condition was so blatant that it made me frown. Could it be the employer's taste? Or maybe it's a strange job, like selling one's body. It's a possibility, since they go around looking for people.
"Did the person you know go with those men?"
"No. They refused because they were offended."
Indeed, they are strange in many ways. As I thought this and observed the men more closely, they suddenly turned their heads toward us. I quickly hid behind the wall. Johnny, who also hid, looked at me strangely.
"Why are you like that?"
When I didn't answer, Johnny tried to look outside again. I grabbed him and pushed him in the opposite direction.
"Hey, hey, what's going on? Why are you like that!"
"Just shut up and let's go, okay?"
I forcibly pushed his back, which kept trying to turn around. Johnny grumbled and walked. I quickened my pace, glancing back. The men I had seen earlier were still floating in my mind. I don't know what's going on, but it feels ominous. When it feels ominous, it's best to avoid it.
When I came out of the bath, the sky was dark. It was late, but Alicia hadn't come home. Has something happened? She has a temperamental personality, and I was worried about where she might go.
Then, I thought of the men I had seen during the day. Since they only look for pretty people, maybe, she was caught by them?
A sense of foreboding rose. My suspicion grew.
Finally, I prepared to go look for Alicia when the door suddenly burst open. I jumped and turned around to see Alicia stomping in.
"Annoying!"
She was in a bad mood from the start.
"Why are you so late? Did something happen?"
"Ha! I encountered some bad luck on the way."
Alicia sat in a nearby chair with a sullen face. She leaned against the backrest and crossed her legs, clearly showing her bad mood. It seemed something had really happened.