5. The People with Nowhere to Return (4)Moon River

The curiosity grew, the moment he mentioned a secret, bigger than any other curiosity I had towards Do-hyeon. What he was looking for, what he was trying to approach.

I felt that knowing Do-hyeon's secret might change our relationship, for better or worse. I was scared but also thrilled.

"I want to know more now that you've said it like that."

"You'll find out eventually."

I couldn't help but think his secret had something to do with me. Before I could pry further, Do-hyeon quickly added,

"And Hee-jae, you don't have to call me coach anymore. Swimming has become useless now. I just want to be called by my name by you, Hee-jae."

I stood up. The idea that swimming had become useless... I wanted to comfort him right then.

"Do you remember what you told me when we first met? At that bus stop. You said if I learned to swim, I could become a free human being who could walk and swim. That's why I started learning to swim."

"I meant it at that time, but now I'm not so sure. Now, having a car is barely enough to get around. You never know when the sirens will go off... Ah! Hee-jae, make sure to fill up your car with gas. I saw on the news this morning that oil imports have been halted. It might be difficult to refuel for a while."

"I will, Do-hyeon."

"Yes. And if there's anything I can help with, just let me know."

"You too, Do-hyeon."

***

The next day, I woke up early and went out to the yard. The car was covered in a layer of gray dust from the snow that had fallen overnight. After cleaning it off and getting into the driver's seat, I intended to personally confront whoever was delivering the package to my front door.

I reclined the seat back. Thanks to the tinted windows, I was invisible from the outside, but the cold was challenging to endure. Despite wearing several layers of clothes, a mask, and a hooded jumper, waiting in a car with the engine off was harder than I thought. I couldn't be sure how long I could withstand the cold, but I hugged myself tighter for whatever warmth it might provide and kept my eyes on the alley leading to our house.

I drifted in and out of sleep, blurring the lines between dreams and reality. Visions of a car approaching the house and hallucinations of Sun-woo sitting beside me flickered and vanished before my blurry eyes. Knowing the dangers of falling asleep in the cold kept me alert, but a deep-seated exhaustion weighed down my consciousness.

After the world had been cast into deep shadow, time felt more erratic. Days progressed from less dark to dark, to darker, obliterating any sense of time.

Amidst the murky sleep,

"Hee-jae."

The clarity of the voice calling my name snapped me to attention. It sounded as if someone was speaking right into my ear, yet I was alone. Disbelieving it was just an auditory hallucination, I scanned the car interior.

Checking my phone, I thought it was early evening, but it was just past noon.

Rubbing my bleary eyes and adjusting my seat, I saw four red lights moving towards the house from the sky. The silent approach confirmed it was an ion propulsion drone.

I realized my assumption was wrong. The reason I hadn't seen anything wasn't due to Balqama's secretive deliveries but because they were using aerial drones for delivery.

The drone, resembling a flattened car, rotated to place a package at the front door. I spotted the logo of a shipping company on the drone's body. It was too dark to see clearly, so I quickly took a photo with my phone. As the drone removed the airbag covering the package and pressed the doorbell,

I realized the truth and chuckled.

After the drone left, I checked the photo. Adjusting the brightness and zooming in, I saw 'LENTO EXPRESS' beneath the shipping company's logo, along with a small print phone number. I immediately called the number. While waiting to connect to customer service, I carried the box inside. After a long wait,

"Thank you for waiting, customer. We are LENTO EXPRESS, the leader in drone delivery. How may I assist you?"

The slightly stiff tone indicated an AI representative.

"Hello, I just received a package and would like to check the sender's address."

The representative verified my name, address, phone number, and date of birth. It was puzzling why so much information was needed. The response was even more baffling.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot provide the sender's address."

"Can you at least give me their phone number?"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot provide the sender's phone number. The customer has opted for privacy."

I couldn't believe I was denied information about the person who delivered a package to my door. What if the package contained something dangerous, like explosives...

"If there were explosives in the package and someone got hurt, you'd need to give me their information to resolve this."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot provide the sender's information. The customer has opted for privacy."

The same response repeated. Desperate, I resorted to a bluff.

"If I report this to the police, it could get big, and you'd have to explain why you sent it without checking if it was an explosive... It's not a small matter, especially with the sensitivity around illegal weapons. What good would it do you to get suspended from operation over this? Just give me the phone number, and I promise not to hold you accountable."

Surprised by my own fabrication, I shuddered at the discomfort of the deceitful tone. Thankfully, the AI couldn't grasp my embarrassment.

"One moment, please."

After a polite voice and a brief musical interlude, I got the response I hoped for.

"Thank you for waiting, customer. We have sent the sender's address and phone number via text message. Thank you for using our service."

Incredibly, it worked. I ended the call and checked the text.

'Incheon Metropolitan City, Jung-gu, Sajung-ro 482'

The address pointed to the Second Pier of Daeseok Port, right by the sea. Satellite images showed a rectangular building with a blue zinc roof, seemingly indifferent atop a logistics warehouse. Containers were stacked in front of the building, two stories high. Was this a Balqama building or just one of many branches? Either way, it was odd.

Hesitant to teleport due to the unknown building layout and possible human presence, I decided to drive instead. It didn't take long to make up my mind.

After entering the address into the navigation system and starting the car, I hesitated at the reminder of the low fuel. But I could refuel at any gas station along the way. Driving over the seemingly eternal snow, I ventured onto roads sporadically lit by street lamps, where the lanes were barely visible. I kept my nerves tight, my hands sweating on the steering wheel.

Throughout the hour-long drive, the sirens came and went. The origin of these sirens remained unknown, now sounding like an outpour of rage at all living beings. My flinch was a reminder of my own life.

Signs at every gas station declared a lack of fuel. At stations without such signs, cars lined up for kilometers. I should have refueled immediately after Do-hyeon's warning yesterday. It seemed too late now.

Entering the city from the highway, everything appeared pallid. Unpicked trash had encroached onto the roads from the sidewalks, and unlit shops seemed devoid of hope for revival. Occasional convenience stores, with shattered windows, had gray snow invading the interiors. I bit my dry lips, suppressing a chill.

Approaching the destination and making a left turn, I abruptly braked. The road facing Daeseok Port's Second Pier was cluttered with haphazardly parked large trucks. More of an illegal dumping of vehicles than parking, only a single car could barely pass through the center, and even that was challenging without reversing out.