NTH 113

Sihun
Your collarbones are a straight line too, now that I look again

Sihun
You’re so handsome, I think you could be a model

For some reason, he started to feel bad, so Jin didn’t reply anymore.

And then, the next evening, a message came from Tak Sihun again.

Sihun
Jin. I heard in the faculty office

Sihun
They said you’re skipping the academy for 3 weeks at the end of December?

Yes

Sihun
Are you having some kind of surgery?

No

Sihun
Then why are you skipping so much?

Going on a trip

Sihun
A trip???

Sihun
(Shocked emoticon)

Sihun
(Burned-out white emoticon)

Sihun
Jin… There are only two months left until the exam…

I’m studying hard

I’ll study after I get back too

Sihun
What kind of trip takes 3 whole weeks?

Sihun
Are you going with your boyfriend again?

Yes

Sihun
Doesn’t your boyfriend work?

I’m going with him on a business trip

Sihun
How can you tag along on a business trip?

Sihun
You’ll get in the way of his work

The work is over in one day

He said he’ll hang out with me for the rest

Sihun
Your boyfriend is older than you, right?

Sihun
What kind of work does he do?

Cool work

Sihun
Where on earth are you going that takes 3 weeks?

Overseas

Sihun
Where overseas?

Uranus

After finishing Jeha’s cardigan and the scarf he was gifting to Chief Jeong, Jin wanted to use the remaining yarn to knit something simple. Since Tak Sihun was pestering him almost daily to knit him a birthday present, Jin contemplated what item would require the least amount of effort and would have no room for misunderstanding when gifted.

The item he decided on after much thought was a turtleneck-style neck warmer. He made the design and color simple, focusing more on practicality so that it would feel warm and cozy when worn. Since it was on the short side and was the type you pull over your head, the circumference wasn’t wide, so he finished it in a flash. While it took little time, the sense of accomplishment was great, so he made two more, varying the colors and patterns.

Of the three, Jin took the most simply knitted dark gray neck warmer, put it in a large brown paper envelope that was rolling around in Jeha’s study, sealed it with clear tape, and handed it to Tak Sihun. It was the Thursday he had been emphasizing until his ears bled was his birthday.

“What’s this?”

“A bomb. Open it at home.”

“Why?”

“Because if it explodes here, I’ll get hurt too.”

Seeing Tak Sihun’s expression, which for some reason looked like he’d had a heart-fluttering moment, Jin felt extremely burdened by the thought that it might unintentionally create a cheesy atmosphere. He fled the academy as if escaping and returned home.

Pondering what to do with the other two neck warmers, Jin installed the ‘Dandang Market’ app, an online direct transaction marketplace, on his phone and posted a sale listing. Since it was handmade, a new product, and he had used good yarn, he set the price quite high. He figured if they didn’t sell, he would just wear them himself.

Title: Handmade Neck Warmer

(Photo)

(Photo)

(Photo)

Knitted myself. New. ○0,000 won each

Veggie Market

I want to buy it, but can you negotiate for the round-trip bus fare?

Are you sure it’s never been worn?

I want the wine + oatmeal one, hope for half-price delivery

Inquiring about a doorknob drop-off at Gangnam Uon Village

The navy gray is insane, I call dibs, can do a cool transaction

A series of messages armed with words he couldn’t understand came in. Like the lazy finger prince he was, Jin screenshotted all the messages and sent them to Chief Jeong without any particular explanation. A call came through right away, and Jin put it on speakerphone.

“Mr. Jin, isn’t this the Dandang Market message window?”

“It is.”

“Did you post something for sale?”

“Yeah. But I have no idea what the people who want to buy it are saying.”

“What are you trying to sell?”

“A neck warmer I knitted.”

After a low, light laugh, Chief Jeong’s explanation followed in his characteristic serious tone.

“First, the first message is asking you to lower the price by the amount of the bus fare, so a few thousand won.”

“Then no. I’m not selling.”

“The second one is asking if it’s really a new product that’s never been worn, and the third one is saying they want to buy the wine and oatmeal colored warmer, and they’ll give you the address of a convenience store near their house, so can you send the package there.”

“Where and how do you even read it for it to become such a long sentence?”

“That’s what ‘half-price delivery’ means. And the fourth one is saying they live in Uon Village, and they’ll send the money, so just hang it on their front doorknob and go. The fifth one means they’ll make a smooth transaction without any price negotiation or various inquiries, so please sell the navy gray warmer to them.”

Jin stared blankly at the two warmers he had placed on the table to take pictures.

“It’s difficult. Making money is really not an easy thing. I feel sorry toward Jeha for just spending money like water every day.”

“It’s usually difficult. Can you show me how you posted the sale listing?”

When he screenshotted the post from Dandang Market and sent it to Chief Jeong, he checked the photo right away.

“I’ve felt this for a while, but you are really talented with your hands. Did you come up with the design yourself?”

“Yeah. I tried modifying the basic techniques for adding patterns in my own way.”

“I don’t think I could do this even if I learned for ten years. Excluding labor and creative fees, how much were the pure material costs?”

“I used leftover materials from knitting various things, so I’m not sure. It’s a good quality yarn that pills less, but it’s not an expensive kind like cashmere.”

“If you used leftover yarn, that’s even more rewarding and economical. I’ll help you with the sales process, so please tell me your Dandang Market ID and password.”

“Is that okay? You must be off work, isn’t it too much trouble?”

“Not at all. I just need to exchange a few messages while lying down. I’m worried you might get scammed, so I’d be more at ease if I do it. I’ll take care of delivering the items as well.”

Having passed off the selling of the neck warmers to Chief Jeong, Jin thought about what to knit next. Although Jeha had bought him all the yarn and knitting tools, the fact that he could generate income entirely through his own abilities was exciting and gratifying.

As the now-idle Jin was lying on the sofa and scrolling through knitwear product sites on his phone, a message notification popped up.

Sihun
Jin

Sihun
(Emoticon with tears streaming down)

Sihun
(Emoticon with hands clasped to chest and eyes sparkling excessively)

Sihun
I was really so touched

Sihun
I’m telling you, I was thankful to have been born

Sihun
This is the only one in the world, right?

Sihun
I’m going to wear it every day

If he’s so thankful to have been born, he should be good to his parents. Jin left his messages on read. He didn’t want to reply to each one. He also felt a little regretful, wondering if giving it to him on his birthday was too much.