Diamond Dust — Chapter 1

LIFE GETS COMPARED TO MANY THINGS.

IF YOU ASK ME...

...IT'S AN ENDLESS, OPEN OCEAN.

WE LIKE TO THINK LIFE MOVES IN A SMOOTH, NATURAL CURRENT...

...BUT EACH AND EVERY MOMENT WE FACE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO THE CHANGE ITS FLOW.

SOMEONE WHO'S DRIFTING PEACEFULLY MIGHT GET SUDDENLY PULLED UNDER.

A WAVE COULD CRASH AND TOPPLE A SANDCASTLE.

WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO...

WHEN OUR LIVES ARE CHANGED BY SOMETHING THE OCEAN DOESN'T EVEN NOTICE?

I SPENT A LONG TIME LOOKING FOR THAT ANSWER.

THEN I FOUND THE WORD "DIFFÉRANCE," COINED BY THE PHILOSOPHER JACQUES DERRIDA.

A BLEND OF "DIFFERENCE" AND "DEFERRAL."

MEANING IN LANGUAGE CAN BE NEITHER FIXED NOR PRESENT...

AS THE DEFINITION OF A WORD IS, ITSELF, COMPRISED OF WORDS, WHICH THEN NEED TO BE DEFINED.

THUS, A CYCLE OF INEVITABLE DEFERENCE IN DEFINITION IS BORN, AND DIFFERENCES IN MEANINGS ARISE.

MAYBE TRULY UNDERSTANDING OR DEFINING ANYTHING...

...IS SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE.

SOMEHOW, THAT THOUGHT COMFORTED ME.

UNDERSTANDING COMES WITH TIME...

...SO I DECIDED TO LEAVE WHAT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND BEHIND, AND CONTINUE LIVING.

IN THIS WORLD, THERE ARE THREE SECONDARY GENDERS: ALPHAS, OMEGAS, AND BETAS.

THEY'RE DISTINCT FROM THE PRIMARY MALE AND FEMALE SEXES.

ALPHAS AND OMEGAS POSSESS PHEROMONES THAT ALLOW THEM TO IDENTIFY ONE ANOTHER.

ALPHAS RESPOND SEXUALLY TO OMEGAS, AND VICE VERSA.

IN A WORLD WHERE MOST PEOPLE ARE BETAS, ALPHAS AND OMEGAS ARE RARE.

GOLDEN ALPHAS AND GOLDEN OMEGAS, EVEN MORE SO.

RARITY, PHEROMONES, INTENSE ATTRACTION, FATED LOVE...

...THESE TRAITS ARE ROMANTICIZED...

...THROUGHOUT COUNTLESS LOVE STORIES.

BORN A BETA, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WORLD HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ME.

BUT, HOW DO I SAY THIS...? SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, I STARTED TO DEVELOP MY OWN PREJUDICES.

THINGS LIKE, "I BET ALPHAS AND OMEGAS WOULD HANG OUT HERE."

SEO YEEHYEON?

DIRECTOR HAN SENT YOU, RIGHT?

OH...

YES.

THANK YOU FOR COMING SO LATE AT NIGHT.

I'M SORRY TO ASK THE SECOND YOU ARRIVE, BUT COULD YOU GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY?

IT'S BEEN AGES SINCE I'VE BEEN TO A GALLERY.

HOW DO YOU KNOW DIRECTOR HAN?

I'VE BEEN HELPING HER ORGANIZE HER HOME.

I SEE.

HEAD DOWN THOSE STAIRS AND YOU'LL SEE A REALLY SKINNY GUY.

STAFF

JUST ASK HIM WHAT HE NEEDS AND GIVE HIM A HAND.

UM...

AGH! SHIT, YOU SCARED ME!

DIRECTOR HAN SENT ME.

THE STAFF MEMBER UPSTAIRS TOLD ME TO COME HELP YOU DOWN HERE.

I'M SORRY I STARTLED YOU.

AH, IT'S NOT THAT I SCARE EASILY.

IT'S JUST THAT OUR CURATOR IS ALWAYS SAYING THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED, SO...

NO, FORGET IT.

I'M KWON JUHAN. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TODAY.

I'M SEO YEEHYEON. LIKEWISE.

THE JOB IS SIMPLE.

WE JUST NEED TO TAKE THE PIECES I'VE SET ASIDE UPSTAIRS.

I GET THAT IT'S IRONIC COMING FROM ME, BUT YOU LOOK KINDA FRAGILE. ARE YOU SURE YOU CAN HANDLE THIS?

I'LL BE FINE. I THINK.

WELL, IT'S GOTTA BE BETTER THAN DOING IT ALONE.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T DROP IT.

IF YOU DO, MR. LIU WILL END US BOTH.

GOT IT...

UGH...!

AAAGH, I CAN'T ANYMORE! MY LEGS FEEL LIKE JELLY!

DO YOU WORK OUT OR SOMETHING?

YOU’RE STRONGER THAN YOU LOOK...

I WORK PART-TIME FOR A MOVING COMPANY.

IF IT’S TOO HEAVY, WANNA SWITCH SIDES? IT’S HARDER TO WALK BACKWARDS.

power-c energy Vitamin Water Power Up! Class Vitamin Water power-c 500ml (88kcal)

NO, I’M FINE.

I JUST MOVED A TON OF STUFF EARLIER. I’M NOT USUALLY LIKE THIS.

HERE, HAVE A DRINK.

THANK YOU.

YOU TALK KINDA FUNNY. WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!

THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD IS TALKING, THEY SAID YOU TOOK MORAE TO A HOTEL!

DO YOU REALLY THINK MR. LIM IS GOING TO LET THAT SLIDE?

THAT MAN WOULDN'T HESITATE TO BREAK YOUR ARMS AND LEGS FOR HIS DAUGHTER, YOU IDIOT!

LISTEN TO YOUR GRANDPA FOR ONCE, YOU IDIOT.

YOU SAW WHAT HAPPENED TO YEEHYEON'S FATHER AFTER HE MARRIED AGAINST THE FAMILY'S WISHES.

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE?

WHY ARE YOU BRINGING HIM UP?

THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!

HYUNG, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY GOING TO BREAK UP WITH MORAE, ARE YOU?

OF COURSE NOT. I'M...GONNA MOVE TO SEOUL WITH HER.

YOU SHOULD COME.

YEAH, I MOVED UP HERE NOT LONG AGO, FROM PRETTY FAR AWAY.

HMM...

YOU'RE CHATTING BECAUSE YOU FINISHED ALL YOUR WORK, RIGHT?

UGH, YOU WEAKLING.

WHEN DID YOU HANG ALL OF SECTION B BY YOURSELF? I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE IT FOR ME.

LOOK OVER THERE. SEE THE PAPER MARKED WITH THE 1?

IT NEEDS TO GO ON THAT WALL. LET’S LIFT IT TOGETHER.

BY THE WAY, DID YOU EVEN INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO YEEHYEON?

I BET YOU JUST WENT STRAIGHT INTO "DO THIS, DO THAT," DIDN’T YOU?

I’M BAEK YUNI.

SORRY, MY BABY IS JUST A LITTLE SHY WITH STRANGERS!

I’M GOOD AT MY JOB, SO IT’S FINE.

ARE YOU SAYING WE’RE NOT?

I COULD TRANSFORM INTO A SOCIAL GOD WHENEVER I WANT.

HEH YEAH, MORE LIKE A SOCIAL FLOP.

THEY SEEM CLOSE.

GUYS.

MR. LIU!

WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!

DID YOU GET ANY RESERVATIONS?

THREE.

HERE'S THE LIST. PUT "SOLD" CARDS ON THEM.

I KNEW IT! HAND THEM OVER, I'LL STICK 'EM ON!

THE MOMENT HE WALKED IN...

... THE AIR IN THE ROOM SHIFTED.

IS HE A GOLDEN ALPHA?

I DON'T THINK A THOUGHT LIKE THAT HAS EVER CROSSED MY MIND, BUT I JUST...

THE KIND OF PERSON WHO DOESN'T WATCH OTHERS...

...YET EVERYONE CAN'T HELP BUT TO WATCH.

IF PEOPLE LIKE THAT EXIST...

...THERE'S NO DOUBT HE'S ONE OF THEM.

OH...

HIS EYES ARE THE COLOR OF THE OCEAN.

THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL.