Clockwork

Stepping outside the street makes Yena uncomfortable. There is just something about how they go round without a hitch, something about the almost monochrome scheme of the surrounding that makes her uneasy. Overall outside just make her feel like gear in the system.

The floating projected neon colored signs, people eyes lock on their devices screen, and the preciseness of everything. Even Chaewon notes that things are somewhat eerie, what’s with the white, gray and black color scheme?

“Are you ok? You’ve been looking around.”  Chaewon poke her cheeks.

“N..no.” Yena admitted her eyes roam around the surrounding.

Chaewon gently brushes her hair. “Don’t be nervous.”

“Where are we really going?” Yena fiddles with her yellow scarf.

“Just follow me.” Chaewon grab her wrist to guide her to their destination.

They visited several places that Yena could barely grasp why. In the sea of mechanical preciseness the places they visited are places that supposed to feel like its breathing with life. The precision and seeming lack of human touch make it so – so cold.

The first place is flower shop, a single cherry blossom mark the door, the shop scheme is gray, abit of white accented with light pink.  Once they step in, they are greeted by nothing but a recorded robotic message saying welcome. Chaewon tap in her phone into the scanning machine, after it was accepted there in flash to the air the different flowers, a tap to the air and its revealed the she already ordered something in advance.

Yena was not paying much attention so she did not caught what kind of flower her companion ordered. All she notice is that inside the shop the display are all hologram. There is no physical flowers, it’s not even wide enough to house a garden. She scratch her head, it’s been awhile since she have gone out, does flower shops look like this way?

Really what kind of place she is living in.

They sat on one of the benches and waited. She notice her friend is just scrolling, eyes on her phone. She wants to say something but stop herself and instead look down on her shoes.

“Is there anything bothering you.” Chaewon poke her cheeks with her phone.

Yena just shake her head but Chaewon is not convince. “I know it’s not very comfortable for you to be outside but you need to once in awhile.”

“Where are we going Chae?” Yena look back to her friend.

“Like I said, to see a friend.”  Chaewon smiled.

“Who? The only common friend we have is Yuri.” Yena recounted.

“Exactly.” Chaewon snap, pursing her lips into a smile. She quickly turn around when the indicator light lit up. Chaewon stand up and walk to what looks like the place where she can pick up the item she ordered.

Yena followed her, “Why didn’t she told me?”

Chaewon threw her a glance but quickly turn her attention to the carefully bundled bouquet of flowers, that slide out of the whatever machinery that is running behind that wall. Is there even human there?
Yena observe her friend as she mouth thanks to what seems like a camera.

Yena adjusted her scarf, she look at the beautifully arrange flowers. It has a pleasant color combination, running in counter of all the white, grays and black that dominates the aesthetic of the city.

The bundle are curiously freesias, orange and yellow freesias accented with some forget-me-nots. It is a great blend of yellow, orange and blues , beautiful complementaries. 

“Why she didn’t told you? She  knows that you will find an excuse not to go out, even if it’s see her.” The pink haired girl carefully pick up the bouquet and quickly read the card message with it. Whatever was the content it sure made the pink haired girl smile. 

“Why can’t she just visit us?” Yena ruffled her hair, trying but completely failing to hide her annoyance.

“You know she just can’t go anywhere.” Chaewon pointed to her chest.

“It’s that work right.” Yena sighed. She understands, she was the one who recommended for the younger to pursue the job. Still, it’s frustrating how it so restrictive – this thing with timing and precision. 

Chaewon flick her head and scoff, it’s one of the way she knows how to take the scowl out of the other girls face. It did kind of work like a charm as Yena is about to do the same, causing Chaewon to chuckle. Ok , she miss that side. She hold the girl by her wrist, “Let’s go.”

The next place they went through is a bread shop, and thankfully it’s not that mechanicanized. It still is, for each compartment, you need to press the equivalent cell of the bread you wanted. It drops in the bin underneath and come out wrap afterwards, neat.

Yena could not understand why her friend got them some peach bread, the pink haired girl only reason is that she develop a palate for it. Yena though, noted that the inside of the shop is too white for her liking but that one area where there are wood like structure – she find it quite endearing, especially when she heard the soft laughter of one the people behind. 

They then drop by a café. Surprisingly it’s more of a warm looking place. From the outside it is like any establishment in the city – mostly white with some black or gray accents. Inside though, it has wooden furniture, some greneries. The plants made it abit more alive, but just like how the other establishments are this one is also has robotic elements to it, well atleast there seem to be people working around.

Yena sat opposite of her sharp eyed friend who is currently getting the scanner to scan her phone. After it was registered the holographic menu board pop up in front of her. 

“I’ll take a latte. How about you? ” Chaewon asks.

“Do they have something like tea?” She replied.

“How about this pearl milk tea?”  Chaewon pointed to the image.

“Can I have extra foam on it?” Yena mumbled. Chaewon then finalized their order.

Yena’s eyes once again roam inside the store, the place is definitely a lot less mechanical. She eyed a woman in the clear window making coffee by hand. Most coffee nowadays are mix by machines, it gets you precisely what you ask but then there is just something off about it sometimes. So witnessing the rare times someone make coffee by this way is very much welcome to Yena.

“It’s what makes them special, it’s very rare to see actual barista’s working nowadays.” Chaewon muttered, not paying Yena much attention. The pink haired girl have her eyes pinned to her phone messaging someone.

Yena eyes her with disappointment, “Who are you messaging?”

Chaewon sigh in relief and just smiled but she continued typing on her phone, “Professor Kang.”

“Prof…Professor Kang.. That Kang… Why?” Yena muttered in disbelief.

Chaewon took another deep breathe and put her phone back to her pocket. “I know you don’t like her but she used to be our friend.”

“No she is not, I don’t know such friend – not after what she did. You know what she did! How can you still call her  as your friend!?” Yena shouted.  

Chaewon opened to say something in return but she did not continue. She look at people inside who all started to look at their direction. “I got it, calm down.”

Yena felt uncomfortable with eyes boring to her, so she sat like an obedient child, muttering words only she can hear.

“Ma’am is there a problem?” one of staff approach them, she is wearing a midnight blue polo shirt and an apron. In her name tag is the name Kim Minjoo.

“No nothing Minjoo-ssi, we are fine.” Chaewon quickly wave her.

Yena’s eyes widened she look back between her friend and the staff who just walk away. “Isn’t that?”

“Yes it’s her.” Chaewon answered a bit annoyed.  “We are not together anymore so don’t ask. She found someone else now.” She glared to Yena before the other girl could even ask why.

Their drinks was then delivered by machines that goes around the table. It was delivered right to the minute it was set to arrive. Everything, even when there seems like a hiccup, everything goes back down to that precision. Everyone in this city function like a cog in a clockwork.

Everything including, her pink haired friend, the professor and  Yuri.