Diamond Dust — Chapter 22

I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE ONLY PERSON WHO TRULY UNDERSTOOD "ISOLATION," WHO UNDERSTOOD ME, WAS MS. KIM...

BUT REALIZING THAT MR. LIU HEARD ME...

...MAKES ME NOT WANT TO LET HIM GO...

AH...!

I'M SORRY... I JUST FEEL A LITTLE LIGHTHEADED.

THERE'S THAT SCENT AGAIN...

WE WERE PLANNING TO HEAD TO SOHO AND MEET UP WITH THE OTHERS, BUT...WILL YOU BE OKAY?

IF YOU'D RATHER REST, I CAN TAKE YOU BACK TO THE HOTEL.

NO, IT'S FINE. I...WANT TO GO TO SOHO.

ALRIGHT THEN. LET'S GET IN THE CAR.

HEH, I KNEW IT!

MY INSTINCTS NEVER FAIL ME.

I WAS HUNTING DOWN NEW PIECES FOR OLD FUTURE, AND THE SECOND I SAW IT, I KNEW IT WAS MADE FOR YEEHYEON.

THANK YOU. BUT IS IT REALLY OKAY FOR ME TO KEEP ACCEPTING CLOTHES FROM YOU?

JUST BUY SOMETHING FROM THE SHOP DURING THE NEXT DROP. DON'T OVERTHINK IT.

HM...

BUT ISN'T IT A LITTLE REVEALING?

IT'S SO SHEER YOU CAN PRACTICALLY SEE THROUGH IT.

ACK

COUGH

COME ON, THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT COOL!

HE SAID THAT WITHOUT EVEN BLINKING...

IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT YEEHYEON? YOU ANIMAL! HAHA OH, COME ON!

COUGH

OH, YOU GUYS ARE WITH THE GALLERY FROM SEOUL, RIGHT?

YOUR STYLE'S A PRETTY DISTINCTIVE, SO I REMEMBER YOU.

YOU LOOK INCREDIBLE EVEN OFF THE CLOCK. WHAT WAS IT, "GHOST GALLERY" OR SOMETHING?

NOPE. IT'S PHANTOM GALLERY. BUT YOU WERE CLOSE!

WE'RE FROM AMSTERDAM.

THE THREE OF US RUN A SMALL GALLERY TOGETHER AS FRIENDS.

OH! COULD I SEE YOUR INSTARGRAM?

UM...

COULD I HAVE YOUR INSTARGRAM TOO?

OH... SORRY, I DON’T USE SOCIAL MEDIA.

OH, THEN MAYBE YOUR EMAIL...?

YOU'RE... YOU’RE JUST SO CAPTIVATING. I’D LOVE TO BE FRIENDS, AT LEAST!

TO BE HONEST, I WAS THE ONE WHO SPOTTED YOU AND SUGGESTED WE COME SAY HELLO.

I’M PLANNING A TRIP TO KOREA THIS WINTER.

I THOUGHT MAYBE WE COULD KEEP IN TOUCH AND MEET UP IN SEOUL SOMETIME.

UH... WELL...

IT’S NOT THAT I DISLIKE HIM, BUT... I...

I’M SORRY. MY BOYFRIEND... PROBABLY WOULDN’T LIKE THAT.

OH. I SEE...

I DIDN'T REALIZE. I'M SORRY.

AH...!

THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT...!

I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU HAD A BOYFRIEND.

OH, NO... YOU KNOW I DON'T...

SAN FRANC CLUB

I DON’T. HOW WOULD I HAVE KNOWN?

SEO YEEHYEON, YOUR POPULARITY’S GONE INTERNATIONAL!

DID YOU HEAR THAT?

IT WAS HARD NOT TO HEAR.

The city burns in neon light

I'M GOING OUT FOR A SMOKE.

OH...

THIS SONG!

YEAH! WE HAVE TO DANCE TO THIS ONE!

THIS LOOKS LIKE A PHOTO I SAW ON THE OLD FUTURE WEBSITE.

IT FEELS LIKE I'VE STEPPED RIGHT INTO IT.

My heart beats heavy and love

UM...

I WANT TO TRY SMOKING, TOO.

WHEN I SAW THE PHOTOS ON OLD FUTURE'S HOMEPAGE, I REMEMBER THINKING THAT IF I EVER MADE IT TO HONG KONG, I WANTED TO AT LEAST TRY.

THOUGH I DIDN’T EXPECT TO BE HERE THIS SOON...

YOU’RE OLD ENOUGH. YOU DON’T NEED ANYONE’S PERMISSION.

You open wide in that brilliance.

MMPH!

UGH!

COUGH

H-HEY...! DON'T...TAKE PHOTOS OF ME.

WHY NOT?

WHAT'S THE POINT? IT WOULDN'T EVEN BE INTERESTING.

ARE YOU SAYING THE PHOTOS I TAKE AREN'T INTERESTING?

UH...

BUT THE SEO YEEHYEON I PHOTOGRAPH IS INTERESTING TO ME.

WHY DOES IT SUDDENLY FEEL LIKE WE'VE GROWN CLOSER?

IS IT BECAUSE I FOUND OUT HE CONNECTED WITH "ISOLATION?"

OR IS IT THE ALCOHOL AND CIGARETTES?

OR MAYBE IT'S JUST THIS CITY, HUMMING ALIVE WITH EXCITEMENT...

CAN I SEE THE PHOTO...?

I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T SHOW YOU...

WHY NOT?

BECAUSE YOU'RE A FORTUNE-TELLER, YEEHYEON.

IF YOU SEE THEM, YOU'LL READ ME LIKE A BOOK.

WHAT...?

ARE YOU REALLY STILL CALLING YOURSELF A BETA?