Chapter 26.1 ?

The stop of the overground train they arrived at was quite high up.

“……”

“Why, is something wrong?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been at such a high place.”

“Well, that makes sense.”

Yoo Sung-woon nodded.

‘A portrait wouldn’t usually have a reason to come up this high.’

But since he said, ‘It’s been a while’, it seemed like he had come out of the portrait and gone up on his own before.

‘Or maybe he has memories of climbing mountains or cliffs as a human.’

Since he could move on his own, there could be various cases. Perhaps he even moved while still in his portrait form.

Unaware of Yoo Sung-woon’s thoughts, Gio was looking around the overground train stop.

‘…I didn’t realize it from below, but it’s covered with a transparent barrier. It seems to prevent accidents from falling or blocking the strong wind at high places, but what’s the exact material? It looks much more transparent and sturdy than glass or plastic.’

Gio had a great interest in growing and creating things. Such new materials, like something out of a sci-fi movie, made him unable to hold back his questions.

“What is this wall made of?”

“Huh? Wall?”

“Yes, it’s blocked by a transparent wall so clear you wouldn’t notice unless you touched it.”

“I’m not exactly an expert in this area either, but… it’s probably made of intangible crystal.”

“Intangible crystal?”

“I heard it’s an ingredient extracted from one of the frequently appearing monsters.”

Yoo Sung-woon didn’t know the exact name of the monster. Unless it was a particularly threatening or unique monster, there was no point in remembering it.

“I heard most of the transparent windows installed in the city use this material.”

“I see.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

Yoo Sung-woon gave him a serious look.

“Don’t take it. It’s public property.”

“I know.”

“Your reaction doesn’t seem like someone who knows.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

“…If you really want it, I’ll get it for you later, so hold on for now.”

Although intangible crystals were used in various industries, their price wasn’t expensive compared to their versatility. This was because the monsters from which the crystal could be extracted weren’t rare, and the amount of crystals that could be extracted from each was also large.

“What would you even use something like this for?”

“It seemed like an interesting material, so I wanted to observe and make use of it.”

“Your curiosity is truly remarkable…”

Yoo Sung-woon smiled with a strange feeling. Showing interest in human-made rules or objects was a typical trait of beings of the origin.

As they were chatting away, the overground train soon arrived.

“It’s just the two of us in this car.”

As Yoo Sung-woon said, there were only two of them in the car marked ‘No. 6.’

Gio quietly thought.

‘People really don’t ride it.’

It felt a bit regrettable.

‘Such an amazing new technology, yet people can’t ride it because it’s too expensive.’

Even when he tapped the card at the elevator entrance on the first floor, there was only a green light indicating allowed entry, and no specific amount spent was displayed. So he didn’t know the exact fare for the overground train, but it felt oddly bitter.

‘It feels like the gap between rich and poor has worsened over the past 31 years, or is it just me?’

Gio asked.

“Is it usually this empty?”

“Ah, that’s not it.”

Yoo Sung-woon shook his head.

“Normally, it’s more crowded than this. There would be at least 10 people per car, but I don’t see anyone today. Maybe it’s because it’s in the middle of working hours …. but I’m not sure since it’s been a while since I rode it at this time either.”

“……”

Wait a minute.

Something felt off.

“Is it working hours?”

“Yeah, it’s 8:38 right now.”

Yoo Sung-woon continued after checking his wristwatch.

“Although it slightly varies from company to company, the average start time is 7 AM.”

“……”

“Gio?”

“Work starts at 7 AM?”

“For most people, yes.”

Is this place devoid of human rights?

‘In my memory, the typical start time for office workers was definitely 9 AM.’

Gio suddenly lost confidence in his ability to survive in this harsh reality. Even his nonexistent patriotism seemed to disappear, making him think that a portrait might suit him better after all.

“……”

Why has this country become like this? He quickly came up with a plausible reason. It was because of the 31-year gap in Gio’s memory that he could come up with such a reason.

“Was it set like this because most people wake up early due to genetic or cultural reasons?”

“Uh… no, it’s not like that. If no specific time is set, many people would sleep until lunchtime. This is just a rule that people have agreed on.”

“I see.”

It was a clear answer, but it left him feeling uneasy. Gio stared intently at Yoo Sung-woon.

‘Does this person sometimes not see me as human?’

It felt like a butler explaining human society to a talking cat.

“……”

“Hmm? What?”

“I’m an ordinary human being.”

“Uh… okay.”

Even if he searched through his reaction with eyes wide open like a high school senior analyzing a college entrance exam text, there was no sign that he truly believed him.

‘…Well, if I were in Mr. Yoo Sung-woon’s shoes, I wouldn’t feel that a haunted portrait was the same as me either. In a world like this, at least I should be grateful for not being  openly treated as a monster.’

Moreover, being treated like a monster had its perks. Even without money or common sense, people would overlook it, thinking ‘Well, it’s understandable since he’s not human.’

Though his pride as a human felt a bit trampled, the thought remained unchanged that living as a portrait would be better for his mental and physical health than returning as a faithful slave in a capitalist society.

Gio subtly asked.

“Do I come across as an uncultured and impolite person?”

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“I don’t want to cause Mr. Yoo Sung-woon any discomfort, so I’ll be careful.”

“…I’m not sure how to respond, but… okay, thanks.”

“Thank you.”

As expected, Yoo Sung-woon truly was a reliable and considerate person.

Gio sat down next to Yoo Sung-woon, he noticed that the doors of the overground train hadn’t closed yet.

“It’s been open for quite a while.”

“Subways or buses close much faster than this.”

After briefly informing him of basic common sense, Yoo Sung-woon continued explaining about the overground train.

“Since it takes time to come up by the elevator to the overground train, and there aren’t many platforms, so they keep it open longer for those who are a bit late.”

“Even in winter?”

“Well, luckily, the cold is automatically blocked.”

Right, it was the middle of winter.

“Ah, come to think of it… if we’re lucky, we might come across some street food while walking around.”

At Yoo Sung-woon’s words, Gio’s heart raced. He was loyal to his instincts.

“Street food, like fish-shaped buns?”

“Yeah, or octopus balls… egg bread… or maybe fish cakes too.”

“I want to eat it.”

“I’ll try my best to find some, but don’t get your hopes up too much. There aren’t many places selling that anymore.”

“Why is that? Warm street food should be quite popular on cold days.”

“Because complaints that it doesn’t look good, not many people willing to do it. Once a complaint is filed, it becomes difficult to re-enter or continue business in the city.”

Yoo Sung-woon shrugged as he spoke.

“And in the first place, city people generally don’t want to run street food stalls. And for people from the countryside, coming all the way here to sell food is too inconvenient.”

“……”

Oh.

Gio was flustered.

“It seems there’s a strict distinction between city and rural people.”

“Huh? Uh, well… I suppose so?”

“Why is that?”