Heart-Pounding Planet — Chapter 1

...I REALLY DID COME ALL THE WAY HERE.

152 BUPYEONG [The Catholic University of Korea Incheon St. Mary's Hospital]

153 백운 Baegun 白雲

151 부개 Bugtae 富開

IT'S CLOSER THAN I THOUGHT. WE GOT HERE PRETTY QUICKLY.

44 MINUTES BY SUBWAY FROM MY STUDIO APARTMENT NEAR SILLIM STATION.

SINCE I'M HERE, I SHOULD LET HIM KNOW.

THE REASON I CAME TO THIS UNFAMILIAR NEIGHBORHOOD I'D ONLY VAGUELY HEARD OF

ON SUCH A COLD DAY WAS...

Dolmaengi

I got off. Which exit should I take?

You won't be able to find the exit.

BUT WHY DOES HE SAY I WON'T BE ABLE TO FIND IT?

Jemulpo Puppy

If you come out through the "Goechalgu" exit, there's a fountain, you know?

I'm there. I'll come pick you up soon.

...HUH?

...IT MUST BE A TYPO, RIGHT? HE MAKES TYPOS ALL THE TIME ANYWAY.

STILL, "GOECHALGU" IS KIND OF CREEPY...

DID I REALLY NEED TO AGREE TO MEET HIM? I SHOULD'VE AT LEAST TOLD NAHI THAT I WAS COMING!

AH, N-NO. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL HER THIS?

<CHARACTER INFORMATION>

JEMULPO PUPPY INCHEON, MALE

Oh, damn...

I'M GOING TO INCHEON TO MEET A GUY I'VE BEEN CHATTING WITH ON AN APP! ☒☒

[HEART-POUNDING PLANET], ABBREVIATED AS HPPV

A RANDOM CHAT APP WITH A SPACE THEME,

WHERE YOU TYPE WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY AND SEND IT,

THEN RANDOMLY LAND ON ANOTHER USER'S PLANET.

A CHAT ROOM WITH OO HAS BEEN CREATED.

IF THE PERSON REPLIES, A CHAT ROOM IS CREATED.

BUT IF THEY DON'T REPLY, THE MESSAGE TURNS INTO BLACK ASH AND DISAPPEARS.

'HPP' WAS HUGELY POPULAR WHEN IT WAS RELEASED.

BUT AS IT WAS OVERTAKEN BY NEWER APPS, IT GRADUALLY FADED FROM PEOPLE'S MEMORIES.

BUT HOW DID I END UP USING THIS DEAD APP IN THE FIRST PLACE?

IT WAS BECAUSE OF SOMEONE I'D HAD A CRUSH ON SINCE HIGH SCHOOL!

JIUM, WE'RE GOING TO THE SAME UNIVERSITY.

MY LONGTIME UNREQUITED LOVE, MA SEUNGJO.

TAKE CARE OF ME WHEN WE GET THERE TOO.

I'm going to ask Hana out tomorrow.

I think coming to Rome was the best decision I ever made!

IT WAS BECAUSE HE HAD STARTED LIKING ANOTHER GIRL.

SEUNGJO HAS STARTED LIKING ANOTHER GIRL...?

EVEN THOUGH HE'D NEVER SHOWN ANY INTEREST IN GIRLS BEFORE...

THE WOUND LEFT BEHIND AS MY LONGTIME UNREQUITED LOVE CAME CRASHING DOWN WAS DEEP.

AND ALTHOUGH I SHUT MYSELF AWAY IN MY STUDIO APARTMENT AND TRIED TO FORGET, IT WASN'T EASY.

JUST WHEN I WAS WONDERING IF I'D FEEL BETTER IF I COULD VENT SOMEWHERE,

I DISCOVERED <HEART-POUNDING PLANET>.

...MAYBE I'D FEEL A LITTLE BETTER IF I JUST LET IT ALL OUT SOMEWHERE?

I MEAN, PEOPLE DON'T REALLY USE IT ANYMORE, AND IT'S ANONYMOUS.

SO I STARTED USING HPP LIKE A BAMBOO FOREST, A PLACE TO VENT ANONYMOUSLY.

I stupidly said I hoped things would work out for you, but honestly, I'm feeling weird. You know what, Seungjo? I actually like you. I've liked you for a very long time.

Ughㅠ If I'd known this would happen, maybe I should've at least told you I liked you...?

We talked every day... fell asleep while on the phone... you always walked me home... I guess I mistook your kindness for something more... How pathetic.

NO ONE EVER REPLIED TO ME. BUT I DIDN'T CARE.

BECAUSE THANKS TO THAT. THE FRUSTRATION IN MY HEART WAS SLOWLY EASING.

AND THEN. ON THE THIRD NIGHT.

I WONDER IF SEUNGJO IS WITH THAT GIRL RIGHT NOW?

WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT, JUST THE TWO OF THEM...?

What do people talk about when they're flirting...? I'm curious. No, I'm not curious. Well, maybe a little...

WHAT AM I DOING? STOP THINKING ABOUT IT AND GO SHOWER AND SLEEP...

DING

Jemulpo Puppy Stop being so interested in other people's relationships.

Mind your own damn business.

...HUH?

FOR THE FIRST TIME. SOMEONE HAD REPLIED TO ME.

DID I... ACTUALLY GET A REPLY?

BUT WHAT'S "MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS" SUPPOSED TO MEAN?

Dolmaengi

? What does "Mind your own damn business" mean?

Jemulpo Puppy

Stop feeling sorry for yourself.

HUH?!

THAT WAS HOW IT BEGAN.

MY CONVERSATIONS WITH A MAN USING THE USERNAME "JEMULPO PUPPY."

HUH, WHAT'S WITH HIS WAY OF TALKING? DID HE NEVER LEARN BASIC INTERNET ETIQUETTE?

IS HE ACTING LIKE THIS JUST BECAUSE IT'S ANONYMOUS?

The world is complicated, sure, but what's with your lack of empathy? Does everything go smoothly for you whenever you're dating someone?

? Never dated. Don't care.

SO THIS GUY IS GIVING ME DATING ADVICE WHEN HE'S NEVER DATED EITHER?

If you don't know anything, then keep walking, okay? And who said you could talk to me informally?

Fine, I'll stop. You told me to, didn't you?

Not telling you.

How old are you?

Who says you get to decide?

I do!

You think you're the only one with feelings? I have feelings too.

UGH, SO CHILDISH!!! WE'RE NOT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS. IS THIS REALLY THE LEVEL OF HIS CONVERSATION?

If you're that pissed off, then drop the formality too.

DESPITE THE CHILDISH FIRST IMPRESSION, MY CONVERSATIONS WITH JEMULPO PUPPY CONTINUED.

MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PRESSURE SINCE WE DIDN'T SHARE ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION,

I'm bored -_- Is there any movie I can watch to my heart's content?

AT SOME POINT, INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT MY UNREQUITED LOVE, WE WERE SIMPLY SHARING THE DETAILS OF OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.

Dawn of the Dead. Watching it on Netflix right now.

Is it that one?

? That’s a zombie movie.

IN AN ANONYMOUS SPACE, WITH SOMEONE WHOSE NAME I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW,

You’ll be crying because you’re scared. Want to watch it together? I’ll pause it and wait for you.

BEING ABLE TO HAVE SUCH AN OPEN, UNGUARDED CONVERSATION FELT REFRESHING.

AFTER TALKING WITH JEMULPO PUPPY FOR NEARLY A MONTH AND BEGINNING TO HEAL FROM MY PAINFUL WOUND,

SEUNGJO CAME BACK.

I REALLY WISH YOU'D GONE WITH ME. I KEPT REGRETTING THAT YOU COULDN'T.

SORRY... I SUDDENLY GOT BUSY BACK THEN.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU SAID YOU HAD SOMETHING TO TELL ME!

AH, WELL...

I'M DATING HANA NOW. THE ONE I MET IN ROME.

ALONG WITH THE NEWS THAT TORE OPEN MY WOUND ALL OVER AGAIN.

REALLY...? HOW LONG HAVE YOU EVEN KNOWN EACH OTHER?

IT'S YOUR FIRST TIME HAVING A GIRLFRIEND.

AND THIS HAPPENED SO SUDDENLY...

WELL, I REALIZED THAT HOW LONG YOU'VE KNOWN SOMEONE ISN'T WHAT MATTERS.

THE MOMENT I HEARD THOSE WORDS FROM SEUNGJO.

...Y-YOU REALLY LIKED HER THAT MUCH?

ANYWAY, CON...GRATULA- TIONS. ...WOW.

MY HEART DIDN'T JUST BURN, IT WAS BLOWN WIDE OPEN.

I'M SO SHOCKED I CAN'T... GET ANY WORDS OUT.

I FELT PATHETIC FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO GO TO EUROPE BECAUSE OF MONEY.

...WOULD THINGS HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT IF I'D TRAVELED WITH HIM?

I SHOULD'VE GONE SOMEHOW...

BUT HOW COULD I?

I COULD BARELY AFFORD MY TUITION AND LIVING EXPENSES.

THE TRAVEL MONEY I'D PAINSTAKINGLY SAVED THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER

HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO GO TOWARD COVERING THE SUDDEN INCREASE IN MY APARTMENT RENT JUST BEFORE VACATION,

SEUNGJO. SOMETHING URGENT CAME UP, SO I DON'T THINK I CAN GO.

GO WITH ANOTHER FRIEND.

I LIED BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK PATHETIC IN FRONT OF THE PERSON I LOVED.

A message from Jemulpo Puppy.

came to Guwol-dong to go shopping. What are you doing? They didn't have what I wanted, so I'm heading to Bucheon. I'm on my way to Yeongdeungpo. The roads are completely jammed.

HE'S REALLY BEEN TO A LOT OF PLACES WHILE WE HAVEN'T TALKED.

DOES HE EVEN HAVE ANY FRIENDS?

Why aren't you replying? Report that you're still alive.

They're dating.

Who, your unrequited love? Good for you. Forget him.

IS HE KIDDING? IF IT WERE THAT EASY TO FORGET, I'D HAVE FORGOTTEN HIM AGES AGO.

WHY DID I EVEN TELL HIM...

...COME OUTSIDE? IS HE ASKING TO MEET? STILL, THAT'S A BIT...

NO, MAYBE I SHOULD MEET HIM...? STAYING BY MYSELF WILL ONLY MAKE ME DEPRESSED.

NAHI'S AWAY FOR VACATION TOO, SO I DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO MEET...

...FINE, LET'S GO OUT. LET'S GO DO SOMETHING.

Just chicken? Is a late lunch okay?

Yeah, I haven't eaten either. You said you're in Seoul, right? I'll leave now. Where should we meet?

HE'S COMING ALL THE WAY TO SEOUL?!

I FEEL BAD MAKING SOMEONE FROM INCHEON COME ALL THE WAY TO SEOUL...

...AH, WHATEVER!

No, no, I'll go to Incheon. I've always wanted to visit Incheon!

AND THAT'S HOW, AT BUPYEONG STATION, WHERE I'D ARRIVED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.

I FINALLY MET HIM.

EXCUSE ME.

MY CHAT FRIEND WHO HAD HELPED ME FORGET MY HEARTACHE,

IF ONLY FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

'JEMULPO PUPPY.'