Ch.35Pork Cutlet 3

The woman who had picked up olive oil glanced back at me.

She left me with a fierce look in her eyes as she drifted away.

After all my help, why such a hostile gaze…

I tried to forget about that strange woman and finished my shopping.

I dragged the heavy grocery bags to the first-floor lobby, struggling with their weight.

Then I sat on a bench, zoning out until Jeoksa would return.

From a distance, I could hear the faint sound of an analog game machine.

I turned my head toward it.

“—.”

It was coming from behind the corner.

Judging by the repeated “Too bad, try again next time,” it sounded like a claw machine.

I was quite familiar with that sound.

Actually, more than familiar—it felt nostalgic.

In the past, I enjoyed playing claw machines with Noona Jisoo.

I think it was in Hongdae.

Since one-on-one meetings were awkward, we tried to figure out what to do together.

After much deliberation, we finally settled on going to an arcade.

Among all the games there, we often played the claw machine since it was somewhat familiar.

Noona wasn’t particularly into console games anyway.

I think claw machines offer pretty good value for money.

Even if you don’t win, there’s still ‘another reward’ to be had.

Namely, the chance to get closer to the other person.

With each attempt at the claw, we experienced the full range of emotions together.

Plus, if you succeeded, you could naturally high-five each other.

And that high-five was my first physical contact with Noona.

Lost in these memories, I found myself heading toward the claw machine.

Just around this corner, the machine would be visible.

I dragged my bags and leaned against the wall.

Then I peeked around to look at the claw machine.

There was only one person there, not a couple like Noona and me.

The woman was intently staring down at the machine, diligently moving the claw.

With a large quantity of onions and egg cartons leaning against the wall beside her.

“It’s that woman from earlier…”

I held onto the corner with both hands and stared at her.

She was so focused on the claw machine that she didn’t even notice my gaze.

But despite her high concentration, she didn’t seem particularly skilled.

The machine kept making annoying sounds like “Ooh, too bad!” as if mocking her.

Nevertheless, she kept stuffing bills into the machine.

Most people would have given up by now…

From what I’ve seen, she’s already spent 5,000 won.

At this rate, she’ll soon cross the 10,000 won threshold.

“Too bad!”

The machine’s continued mockery was irritating.

Feeling frustrated for her, I casually approached.

How could someone be so bad at operating a claw machine?

As I stood close beside her, the woman glanced down at me briefly.

Then she returned her full concentration to the claw.

The shaky claw moved slowly.

It already looked precarious.

The claw stopped above a wolf plushie.

When she pressed the button, the claw dropped precisely onto the plushie’s head.

But the claw slipped off the head as if it were coated in oil.

That’s one of the most common mistakes beginners make.

They aim for the head first because it’s the most noticeable part.

“That’s not how you should do it…”

I muttered to myself.

But the woman didn’t react at all to my intrusive voice.

She just inserted another bill.

Come to think of it, this machine costs 1,000 won per try.

She’s already played this rip-off machine six times?

I couldn’t tell if she was wealthy enough not to care or if she was just stubbornly competitive.

“Too bad!”

In the meantime, she had already wasted another thousand won.

The woman seemed to be getting angry, roughly shoving her hand into her pocket.

She pulled out a crisp 10,000 won bill and pushed it into the machine.

At this rate, she might end up breaking the machine too.

“Excuse me…”

When I spoke softly, her dark eyes peered at me through her mask.

Meeting those deep, lusterless pupils made my throat go cold.

I habitually stroked my neck and avoided her gaze.

Then I mumbled:

“For wolf plushies like that, it’s better to target the body than the head. The head is too bulky, so the claw slips off.”

The woman paused for a moment.

Then, as if having made a decision, she immediately moved the claw toward the wolf’s tail.

Oh come on, not there either.

“Too bad!”

The machine’s repeated mockery made me even more frustrated.

I clenched my fists and took a deep breath.

“You’re trying to get that wolf plushie, right?”

“…”

“Let me try.”

I took out two 1,000 won bills from my jacket.

Time to show off my skills.

I confidently inserted the money.

But despite my actions, the woman didn’t move aside, still firmly gripping the controls.

Since she wasn’t responding to anything I said, I gently leaned against her.

Then I slowly pushed her aside, trying not to be offensive.

The tall woman yielded, stepping aside gracefully.

Instead, she stared down at me as if to see how well I could do.

Her watchful gaze reminded me of Jisoo Noona from the past, giving me a strange feeling.

Thanks to that, I became determined to win the plushie for her.

I skillfully controlled the claw.

And I targeted the body, not the head.

The claw descended without hesitation.

“—.”

Finally, the claw gripped the wolf’s nape like a snake.

And it slowly began to lift the plushie.

But that was as far as it got.

As the claw moved toward the exit, the wolf slipped and fell.

“Too bad!!”

The tactless machine cheerfully announced.

In response, the only spectator of this claw game stared at me blankly.

“…”

“Ah, these aren’t meant to be won in one try. You have to slowly, carefully coax it…”

She clearly hadn’t said anything.

But I started making excuses in front of her anyway.

When I realized what I was doing, I couldn’t help but clear my throat awkwardly.

“Maybe I’m rusty…”

I mumbled as I bent my knees again.

Then I neatly unfolded my last bill.

I inserted the bill with both hands, as reverently as if making an offering to the gods.

“Phew…”

I lightly slapped both my cheeks.

Focus now—I’m a man who’s won five plushies for Noona before.

Even if my body has changed, that skill should remain.

I took a deep breath.

Then, with eyes wide open, I controlled the claw.

I concentrated so intensely that I could feel my eye twitching.

Is this the right spot?

No, one pixel more to the left.

Like NASA launching a spacecraft, every cell in my brain held its breath.

All attention was focused solely on the claw.

After fixing the position, I slowly moved to the back of the machine.

I lowered my head to check the claw’s position one last time.

The junction between the nape and tail.

This is the weak point.

Soon my hand sent the signal.

Time to attempt docking.

“—.”

I pressed the button without hesitation.

The machine made a solemn sound as it smoothly moved toward the target.

The claw roughly grabbed the wolf’s nape.

Then, as if stretching flesh, the plushie began to rise.

Just a little further to the exit.

The woman and I stared intently at this glorious retrieval operation.

The moment was incredibly quiet.

So quiet you could hear someone swallow.

“—!”

But that silence was soon broken.

Because the wolf’s leg got caught on the edge of the exit.

“No, don’t do this. Seriously!”

I grabbed my head and shouted.

The machine seemed to respond to my cry, trying somehow to pull the wolf through.

However, the plushie stubbornly resisted as if it didn’t want to leave.

In the end, the wolf froze with its neck caught on the edge.

Every cell in my body froze too, as if having failed a critical mission for humanity.

“No…”

It’s not over yet.

There’s still one forbidden technique that works on old machines like this.

I strode to the back of the machine.

Then I pushed it hard with my shoulder.

The old claw machine rattled.

And the frozen wolf plushie began to twitch.

I kept pushing the machine.

My shoulder hurt and tingled, but I couldn’t forgive this machine for eating my precious 2,000 won.

“—!”

Finally, I heard something fall to the floor.

“Congratulations!”

The machine sent a congratulatory message, as if impressed by my efforts.

But to me, it sounded more like “You really wanted this? You’re persistent.”

I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand.

Then I waved the hard-won wolf plushie at the woman with a grin.

“How about that? I got it in just two tries.”

I handed the wolf to her with both hands.

The woman, who took the plushie somewhat awkwardly, fiddled with its ears.

Then, seemingly encouraged by my success, she rummaged through her pocket.

Soon, an enormous wad of cash emerged from her pocket.

I couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed at the neatly rubber-banded stack of bills.

What, did she rob a bank?

The woman casually took out a 10,000 won bill.

And indifferently pushed it into the machine.

“Look there. Target the neck.”

I pointed to the nape of another wolf plushie.

The woman moved the claw as if she understood.

Soon she landed the claw precisely on the wolf’s neck, following my guidance.

The plushie dangled from the claw and began heading toward the exit.

But even in this smooth process, I couldn’t let my guard down.

The greatest obstacle, ‘the wall of tears,’ still remained.

“—!”

Sure enough, the plushie got caught on the edge.

And just like with mine, it dangled there with its neck caught.

“Too bad!!”

The machine announced without mercy.

“It’s okay. You saw what I did earlier, right? If you push it skillfully, it will fall into the exit.”

The woman responded by walking briskly to the back of the machine.

I showed her a pushing gesture.

“Tilt the machine gently, with just this much force…”

I tried to explain as carefully as possible.

But I couldn’t finish my explanation.

Because…

“—!”

The moment the woman pushed the machine, it completely shattered.

The supposedly sturdy metal exterior crumpled like clay.

“Too… bad…”

The annoying machine’s voice stopped.

We probably would never hear it again.

Instead, the machine began to emit sharp sparks.

I slowly backed away.

But the woman didn’t care.

She thrust her hand into the dangerous debris.

Soon, she pulled out a pile of plushies.

“Take them.”

The woman handed me a bunch of wolf plushies in a low, cold voice.

But I couldn’t focus on the armful of plushies.

Because…

The voice I had just heard was very familiar.

A voice that, once heard, could never be forgotten.

By the time I realized who she was, the woman was already walking away from me.

With her hands full of eggs and onions.

“Wait.”

I called out to her desperately.

But the woman continued heading outside, as if annoyed that I had discovered her identity.

I just stared blankly at her retreating figure.

Then suddenly my eyebrows furrowed.

Because the woman, who had been moving so resolutely, abruptly stopped in her tracks.

The reason was simple.

The department store’s shutters had suddenly come down.

The midday sunlight that had been illuminating us completely disappeared.