Unknown Number

After school, I went straight to the convenience store to take over for my mom, who was working.

I’m sure many people would ask, "Why not just hire a part-time worker? Wouldn’t that ease the workload for you and your mom?" It’s true, a part-time worker could reduce the burden, but not with our family’s economic situation. Although we own the convenience store, my mom only has half ownership since it’s a branch of a large company in Seoul. So, we can’t take all the profits from it. You get what I mean, right?

On my way home, my attention was drawn to an old woman pushing a garbage cart slowly. She seemed to be struggling to climb a slope to get back to her house. Without thinking, I immediately went to help her, pushing the cart from behind to lighten her load. People say, “If you help an elderly person in trouble, a miracle will come.” Of course, there’s a small hope for that miracle. But that’s not why I helped. I feel calm and happy every time I can see the smile of someone I’ve helped. But, well, a little hope for a miracle doesn’t hurt, right?

This old woman has become part of my daily routine. Every day, I pass by and happily help her, even though I know she never asks for help.

"Narin! What are you doing? Hurry up!" my mom’s voice broke my thoughts from the store entrance. It seemed like she missed me. I smiled and replied, "Yes, Mom, take care, Grandma." Then, I hurried to the store.

My mom, with her sharp gaze, gave me another order, "Hurry up and change your clothes! Don’t eat food that’s still good to sell. Do you understand?" I just nodded.

Ting ting ting!

The sound of the wind chime hanging on the store door reminded me to stay alert and serve the customers. I put on a smile, straightened my clothes and hair, and greeted, "Welcome." But when I looked at the customer who came in, something felt off.

The man_his body, his movements_felt strangely familiar. His face was covered with a mask, but I could sense something familiar about him. My mind tried to ignore the curiosity and focus on my task.

"A pack of cigarettes," he said, placing two cans of soda on the counter. I felt a bit nervous, as he had suddenly appeared after I had been lost in thought. "Can I see your ID?" I asked, hoping to confirm his identity.

He handed me his ID. I checked it briefly and asked him to remove his mask for confirmation. But his response was surprising.

"Do you think the card isn’t enough? Give it to me, and I’ll leave immediately!" he said in a cold tone.

I paused for a moment, taken aback by his unexpected attitude. Maybe he was in a hurry or had some issue. I simply nodded and gave him what he asked for, and he left without saying another word.

However, as I returned to my tasks, his voice kept echoing in my ears. I felt like I had heard his voice before. Without hesitation, I followed him, stepped out of the store, and searched around.

I approached him, slowly following his steps as he walked toward a dark alley across the street. Carefully, I peeked from behind a corner. There was an old, nearly burned-out hanging lamp and a bench leaning against the wall beneath it. The man was sitting there, opening a drink can and lighting a cigarette. His movements were rough, yet there was something about it that made my heart heavy. I could sense that he was struggling with some major problem weighing on him.

I realized then, everyone has their own problems, even though sometimes it’s hard to face them. Sometimes, we can only soothe ourselves in our own way, even though adults often say that’s not the right way.

As I got lost in my thoughts, the wind chime at the store rang again, breaking the silence. I had to go back.

---

The night grew later, and the silence that enveloped the convenience store made the air feel even colder. I glanced around, searching for signs of life. But all I could see were plastic bags drifting in the wind and the meowing of a cat, looking for food near the pile of trash bags.

I turned my gaze to the clock on the wall. It was 11:05 PM. I was shocked_it was already so late. I had been so absorbed in the books I was reading that I hadn't realized the store should have closed at 10:00 PM. Quickly, I started to tidy up, putting the books in my bag, turning off the lights, and not forgetting to take some food that was nearing expiration from the store shelves.

As I stepped outside, the cat was still by the trash pile, unable to find anything to eat. I opened my bag and took out the leftover food I had brought, offering it to the cat. It devoured the food eagerly, as though it was the best thing it had ever tasted. I felt a little relief amid the fatigue of a long day working at the store.

However, while I was focused on the cat, I suddenly heard a loud noise_a can being thrown at the end of the street. I turned to look, searching for the source of the sound. There, a man dressed in all black appeared disoriented, holding a can of drink in his hand. His steps were unsteady, as if he didn’t know where he was going.

He seemed like he had just arrived. His condition was chaotic. I hesitated, unsure whether I should intervene. After all, I was alone and didn’t know him. I decided to leave the remaining food for the cat and walked back home.

Only a few minutes later, I arrived at the front of my house. With light steps, I opened the gate and the door quietly, trying not to disturb anyone’s rest. As I was about to take off my shoes, my eyes fell on my father, who was asleep on the living room sofa. He looked exhausted, his face etched with lines of concern. The sweat on his forehead was still visible, as though the burden of his thoughts hadn’t yet lifted.

I slowly approached him and sat beside him. My eyes stung, and tears began to fall uncontrollably. "Dad, I'm sorry. I know you always think about me, even when you're tired. But I want you to know, I can take care of myself. After I graduate, I’ll take you away from all of this. I’ll work hard for us. I promise. You trust me, don’t you?"

I touched his rough hand and gently pulled a blanket from the closet, covering his weary body. Then I went to my mother's room, where she was fast asleep. Carefully, I pulled the blanket that had fallen off her bed and covered her. No matter what, she is still my mother, and I must be grateful for that.

---

I placed my backpack on the table and changed my clothes. Suddenly, the ringtone of my phone echoed in the room. I walked closer and saw the name ‘Hana’ displayed on the screen. Why is she calling me at this hour?

I glanced at the clock on my phone_ it was already midnight. She never calls past 10 pm. Is there something urgent? Or maybe I have something of hers? But if that’s the case, she could just take it tomorrow at school.

Without hesitation, I answered the call. Maybe she just missed me.

“Helloooooo,” Hana’s loud voice greeted me the moment I hit the loudspeaker button. I instinctively pulled the phone away from my ear. If I hadn’t, I might have lost my hearing.

“Hey! Are you calling to invite me to a protest?” I whispered softly. My dad was asleep in front of my room, and I didn’t want to wake him.

“Huh? What did you say? I can’t hear you!” she exclaimed. Oh God. What should I do to make this girl understand? Talking to her at night always stresses me out.

“Can you lower your voice?” I warned her, keeping my tone as low as possible.

“WHYYY?” she replied, deliberately making her voice sound playful and silly.

“You could wake the whole house!” I said in frustration. But as I feared, it was my own voice that ended up causing trouble.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The loud knocking on my bedroom door startled me. It seemed like Mom was awake. And it was all my fault. Sigh, forget it.

“Narin, why don’t you just bring the house down already?” Mom shouted from outside the door. Her tone made me freeze in place. Even though it sounded like a joke, I knew it wasn’t an empty threat. The trauma of the past still lingered.

The room fell silent for a moment before Hana’s voice broke the stillness.

“Narin, was that your mom? What did she say?” she asked, confused. Hana had never met my mom. I always forbade her from coming to my house. Whenever she wanted to visit, I always found excuses to stop her.

“She told me to tear the house down,” I replied flatly while lying down on the bed.

“Huh?”

“Forget it. Why are you calling me so late?” I changed the subject. Discussing this with Hana would only complicate things.

“Oh, that! How about Do Hwan’s ID? Have you gotten it yet?”

Oh, great. So she called just for that stupid ID? How do I explain it now? Should I tell her I didn’t get it? But if I do, she’ll probably lecture me. I really don’t get why people are so obsessed with that fucking app.

As I was lost in thought, suddenly a new notification popped up on my phone screen. It was a message from an unknown number. I didn’t recall giving my number to anyone recently.

Curious, I opened the message. It was short: “I’m tired.”

I froze. Who is this? And what does this mean?

“Hello, Narin. Are you listening to me or not?” Hana asked, still waiting for a response.

“Hana, wait!” I hung up the call because the unknown number was suddenly calling me. Could it be someone dangerous?

With an uneasy feeling, I decided to answer the call. But there was nothing—just silence on the other end.

“Hello?” I tried starting the conversation. No response. My heart started racing. I checked the screen—the call was still connected. Who is this? Do they mean harm?

I swallowed hard and tried again. “Hello?”

After what felt like forever, a voice finally came through. Soft, cold, and almost a whisper:

“I found you.”

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