NHL 46

“I suppose so. If Tyler knows, the rumors must have already spread far and wide.”

“…So, is it you? The person who’s leaving this time?”

“That’s right, it’s me. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance. I didn’t know it would turn out like this, either. You know how it is—even if you look for a new job quietly while still employed, the offer conditions aren’t always to my liking, and usually, a lot of things just end during the interview process anyway.”

“So, where are you going?”

“I’m going to a university.”

“Really? Isn’t that a great step forward?”

“It is. I know someone there, so I know a lot about it; the compensation is good, and the workload isn’t as demanding as in the private sector. I got lucky.”

“Congratulations. I mean that sincerely.”

“Thanks.”

“Then… when is your last day?”

“Only until January.”

It was less than three weeks away. Watching Joeon check the calendar on his phone, Daniel muttered with a regretful expression.

“By the end of January, you should be able to finish up all your urgent tasks before you go. Don’t worry too much.”

He patted Joeon’s shoulder comfortingly. For the person leaving, it’s easy enough to turn around and walk away with a clear conscience, but the person left behind is inevitably stuck with the abandoned workload. Daniel knew that, so he couldn’t completely turn a blind eye to the guilt. Even if it was only a tiny speck.

“Is there anything else I need to hand over?”

“Ah, about that…”

Daniel scratched his cheek and licked his dry lips. Joeon had a hunch that what he was about to say wouldn’t be pleasant news.

“Is it about the person who’s coming to replace me?”

“How did you know?”

Surprised, Daniel sighed as if realizing it only just then.

“Aha, so that’s where the rumors started.”

“Naturally. What do you think department people search for when they’re looking to switch jobs?”

“Our job category, I suppose. That’s right.”

Clearing his throat, Daniel’s expression grew somewhat uncomfortable.

“John, I wanted to pass on some important work to you. And give you the title to match. But the people above…”

His already low voice dropped even further, becoming close to a whisper.

“They acted like total assholes.”

When Joeon burst out laughing, Daniel gave him a serious look.

“I’m not joking; I’m serious. When I get settled in, if a good opportunity comes up, I’ll be sure to let you know. You deserve to work in better conditions and a better environment.”

“Thanks. You’d better not forget about me.”

“I won’t.”

Daniel held out his fist and tapped it lightly against Joeon’s. Since everyone lives their lives chasing their own interests anyway, Joeon could fully understand his choice, so the disappointment he had felt for a brief moment vanished quickly. There was no need to feel regret.

Daniel stood up from his seat to head out of the conference room. Joeon, who had been about to follow, suddenly stiffened while holding onto the armrest of his chair.

“Ah, you go ahead. My back hurts, so I’m going to rest for a bit before I go.”

“Are you okay?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Yeah, alright then.”

The mental shock that had briefly shaken Joeon had faded quickly, but it seemed the physical impact didn’t disappear as easily; his condition was not good at all.

‘Since it’s come to this, I’ll just laze around a bit today before I go.’

He took out his phone to fiddle with it, and a message from Aaron caught his eye.

「John! I have a gig this Friday, so come hang out if you’re not busy.」

A map was attached to the message, with a red pin dropped somewhere in Kensington Market. From the photos he could see online, it didn’t look like a bar with a large scale. It was a scene of people huddled together in a narrow space, waving their hands toward a band standing in front of a microphone with acoustic guitars.

It looked like a cozy interior, perfect for quietly appreciating music. Joeon replied to Aaron saying he would definitely go, and only stood up after quite some time had passed. There was not even a minute left until his meeting.

🏒🥅

Around this time of year, one can feel the sunset getting slightly later every day.

Joeon set off on his way home from work and noticed the blue tint lingering in the sky that was usually pitch black. Even though it was just past five o’clock, it was dark enough that walking outside felt awkward. Still, there was no strong wind today, so the walk to Kensington Market didn’t seem like it would be a struggle.

The commotion of downtown welcoming Friday night floated here and there along with bright lights. Through the windows of restaurants covered in hazy steam, he could see people washing away the fatigue of the week with a glass of beer.

Music, beating faster than his heart, lifted his spirits. In turn, Joeon’s steps quickened as well. He wasn’t the type to draw energy from people, but when he enjoyed a peaceful walk all by himself amidst the hustle and bustle, Joeon’s depleted energy gauge would slowly fill up. Since the destination was what it was, it was better to keep it fully charged today.

After wandering through a small alleyway following the red dot on the map, the live music bar he arrived at was welcoming people with its heavy black soundproof door wide open.

A chalkboard stood at the entrance listing the schedule for tonight’s live performances, and the name “Bobby Beavers” was written at the very top. An unfamiliar sense of unease settled in over the melody of the acoustic guitar flowing faintly from inside.

“Welcome.”

“Hello. I’ll sit at the bar.”

“Please do.”

Joeon, having ordered a beer, spun the stool around to sit and cast his gaze toward the small stage. He could see people busily moving performance equipment. They were wearing hoodies printed with a drawing of a beaver posing like a model so that anyone could tell they were members of ‘Bobby Beavers’ from anywhere.

It took quite a while to find Aaron among them. He hadn’t recognized him at a glance because he didn’t look like a member of a heavy metal band, but rather a community center volunteer. It was clear that during the time they hadn’t seen each other, his taste in music—along with his taste in fashion—had changed 180 degrees.

Only then did Joeon realize the unease he had felt the moment he first stepped into the shop. The fact that the musical genre of this music bar, where the only customer was still Joeon, was as different from the heavy metal Aaron loved as New York is from LA.

“John! You came?”

“Aaron.”

“You should’ve told me if you were coming.”

“I didn’t want to get in your way while you were preparing.”

“Nah, don’t say that. Come over here. Let me introduce you to my band members.”

Nodding awkwardly, Joeon set his glass down and stood up. The person Aaron introduced first was a man with front teeth that looked very much like the beaver on the hoodie he was wearing. It seemed clear that the man, who was presumed to be the mainstay and leader of the team, had named the band after his own nickname.

“Bobby, say hello. This is my hyung, John.”

“Nice to meet you. Glad you could come. Please call me Bobby.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m John.”

Even though Aaron had introduced John as ‘hyung,’ Bobby didn’t seem particularly surprised. Either the shop was too dark for him to notice that the two were of different races, he just took it as a friendly term, or he had already heard an explanation about Joeon from Aaron.

“Ah, right. Amy!”

Aaron, who had been looking around, waved his hand toward a woman wearing the same uniform. She, who had been setting up a tripod, sent him a sign to wait a moment while showing her palm, then approached Aaron after finishing the setup.

“Say hello. This is my hyung I told you about. John.”

“Hello. I’m Amy. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Ah, hello. Nice to meet you. Please call me John.”

At the Korean greeting Amy suddenly offered, Korean words reflexively popped out of his mouth. Even though it was his native language, it felt awkward because it had been so long since he heard such a greeting. Standing between the two, Aaron quietly rolled his eyes. Aaron could understand simple greetings, but he probably wouldn’t even be able to guess the meaning of an advanced sentence like ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’

“Aaron. Could you come here for a second?”

Bobby and other members, who were having a heated debate near the stage about where to place the speakers, called out to Aaron. Aaron hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave Amy and Joeon behind, but then struggled to turn his back.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Yeah.”