I Know

"What was wrong with that dude?" Subin asked as soon as the fourth interviewee was out of earshot.

I sar with my feet propped up on a poof, arms crossed, doing my best impression of taking this selection seriously. Subin had talked Mr. Han, the company's manager, into letting us use the nicest meeting room for our interviews. It was too large of a space for he measly six prospects  we had, but it was convenient and came with a compute set. The possible spurned-psycho factor was what made me bail on holding them in my studio. Sandbox Center was the safe option. Safe and coding didn't quite fit together, but who knows. Maybe that was my problem.

"Dude? That guy had a killer Pokémon collection."

"So what if he's a newbie, he could code."

"We need someone with coolness, Bin. Can you picture that guy in a big name company?"

He shook his head as he crossed the kid's name off the list.

Four down, two to go.

It had never been this hard.

Samsan Tech pretty much fell together when Subin, Dowan, Hyoseop, and I were in high school. At first it had been more of a school club. After the obligatory websites we created for school, we'd get together and work out some hardware functions. Both Hyoseop and I could code in our sleep. Dowan was great coder but had to move the country. Subin was clumsy at first, but he had grown into a coder who could hold his own. By sophomore year of college we were tight - an AI robot here,  AI app, we even came in second place to 2STO last spring, mostly because Cha Eunwoo's neighbor has been on the judging panel. We had planned on winning this time around.

Until AnhLee completely stole that future.

"Why aren't we playing along with them? Wouldn't it be easier to tell?"

"We're weeding. Besides, I can just feel it," I said, pounding my chest for effort.

"The first guy was fine."

"Sloppy coding, had to backspace so many times. I didn't like this teeth."

Subin sprang up from his chair and threw up his hands. "His teeth? Why are you acting like such a dork? Maybe if you took off the ing Ray-Bans and pretended to care."

I slid the sunglasses up into my hair. "It was also obvious he had no developing experience."

"We just need a body."

The more upset Bin got, the more calm it made me. He was getting pissed enough for the both of us.

"Why? We missed the deadline for the demo day. What does it matter if we find someone today or two weeks from today?" I asked.

"Don't you miss it?"

My mouth opened but the words got stuck in my brain. Did I miss it? Aren't musicians supposed to work through their pain in music? My breakup had the opposite effect. As if playing my guitar opened a wound. I didn't want to feel it. I just wanted to forget it. And that, more than anything, scared me.

But the other night when Hyoseop asked for the song, I had felt something. Rage, maybe, but it was better than the facedown-in-a-mud-puddle feeling I'd been living in post-breakup. I had to keep reminding myself - I wanted this. A new developer. A fresh start. No matter how long it took.

And I had to stop comparing everyone to Hyoseop. As much as I wanted to hammer the guy into the ground, he was still . . . We'd been tight. Friends and co-workers. Finding another person felt like auditioning a new family member, but that was making this damn near impossible. Maybe approaching it like Subin had said - that all we needed was a body - was the right way to go.

The classroom door creaked open.

"Just, give it a chance, okay?" Subin whispered.

A tall dude wearing a light blue T-shirt with navy blue bottoms walked over to us and his laptop in his hand. Whether he was trying to be ironic or just a douchebag was anyone's guess. He may as well have been wearing a suit; poser. I had the urge to yell, "Next!" just for the hell of it. I slid my Ray-Bans over my eyes.

"Hey, this is the interview for SamSan Tech?"

"Yeah, you can hook up your laptop to the computer," Subin said.

The blue dude's brows bunched together.

"I'm just . . . I thought - It's just me?"

"Yes," I said, resuming mode.

"Your flyer said to pick any coding from either -"

I held up my hands. "Don't tell us. Just project it to us."

His face was  blank a moment, but then he stood up straight, shoulder back, corner of his mouth curling up. "Cool."

After a moment of adjusting the laptop to the monitor, he stretch his wrists, bending on back, then the other. Subin looked over his shoulder at me and crossed his eyes. Blue dude dropped the adapter, and picked it up with a laugh. I braced myself for some cringy game application. Closed my eyes.

The loading screen popped up a CCTV, a clear image, and the face recognition hovers over multiple people at the same time. It indicated a person age range, height, and ethnicity. Not an especially intricate piece, but a solid choice. I kept waiting for the system to screw up, quicken the pace, miss a person, but the timing was insane. His coding was well thought-out as I looked across the screen. I slid my shades into my hair, sat up straight. Subin was already checking his coding, acknowledging the dude's impressive skills. It was the longest we'd let anyone project during an interview.

And the look on this guy's face as he pounded away was, Okay, ers, now show me what you got.

Don't compare. Don't compare.

It was hard not to - he reminded me of Hyoseop even if he did blow him away - at least in this interview. It was only one software - he'd probably practiced the hell out of it. Working with us could be different, I knew that, but for the first time all afternoon this guy made me regret not bringing my laptop. There was just one weird thing.

I stood up as his system finished collecting the people's features.

"Why don't I know you?"

"Huh?"

"The school is small. Everyone know everyone, and well, that was . . . You can code. Why haven't I seen you before? Were you in a team?"

He laughed. "If you can call it that. Kimmy's Tech."

"Amazing name," Subin said, sliding up to me. He was practically foaming at the mouth to get this guy. I still wasn't sold, but the blue dude was growing on me.

"Doesn't sound familiar."

"Well, it wouldn't," he said. "We only worked together, and that was when we felt like it. The CEO was a major stoner. The team split a few months ago. Cool girl, just not as serious as I wanted to be. Do you guys attend anything?"

"That's the goal, we've done a few apps. We were in the hackathon last year. We have some prospects, a few successful apps that people are using daily," I said, embellishing. We had one app. That I'd sent before it all went to .

"That sounds cool," he said, standing up. "If you don't mind me asking . . . why are you looking for a new developer?"

"Dude's a dou-"

"Creative stuff, you know how it is," I said, cutting off Mr. Truth. No need to spill anything until we knew this guy was in; we did have one more person to see. "Are you willing to do originals?"

"Hell yeah."

"Great, well, round two is seeing how we fit."

"Yeah, thought you'd be coding today."

"What's your name?"

"Kim Jisoo."

"I'm Joohyuk, this is Subin. I'll send you an outline, but it's mostly the codings from the flyer. We have your number. Maybe next Friday?"

"Um, Friday's no good, but the rest of the week is cool."

Subin waited until Jisoo was out of the room before speaking.

"Round two? Dude, what the hell are you talking about? We'd be insane not to take this guy on."

"Can have him know that. And what if this was a fluke? At least we have an out. Don't want to look desperate."

He laughed. "Nice to have you back."

"What?"

"Now if we can only get rid of that dorky infinity bracelet, you'll be yourself."

"It's a wristband, not a bracelet."

"Whatever, bring it in," Subin said, raising his hand. 

"The high five is dead, Bin."

"But SamSan Tech isn't."

Hyoseop sat at a table in Soop. There was a party going on around him, but he kept typing away. I yelled over to him, but my mouth was gummy; the words wouldn't come out. Why was he coding? I searched over the sea of heads to find Subin, who was busy wiping down tables . . . with Sungkyung. Where was my Soop shirt? Why wasn't I behind the counter? We don't need you! I wanted to yell to Hyoseop. Then I felt a tug on my jacket. That girl with fluttery bangs and long hair who came in after yoga . . . Suzy . . . stood there, smiling at me. You should give him Noogil, she said. Her eyes were so glossy; I'd never noticed that before. She kept tugging at my jacket.

"Wake up, Joohyuk."

I could feel myself being pulled from the dream, I wanted to stay there, like I was on the cusp of understanding something important, but there really was someone shaking me . . . small hands on my shoulders.

"Hyukie, someone's at the door!"

Josie stood next to my bed, dressed in her unicorn pajamas, her eyes puffy from tears. I sat up.

"Whyareyatellingme?" I yawned, propping myself up on my elbows. "Where's Abeoji?"

"He and Joon went out to get bagels. It's Eomeoni's Saturday at the office. The doorbell is freaking me out. I let it ring like Abeoji said to when I'm by myself, but they won't go away."

I ran my hand across my face. The bell rang again. And again.

And again.

I grabbed my phone off the charger. Twenty messages from Subin. And it was 8:30 a.m. WTF?

"It's gotta be Subin," I said, ignoring the messages. "I'll be down in a minute."

"What if it's those those guys who always talk about the end of the world?"

I rubbed my eyes. "They wouldn't be this rude. Wait in the hall, I'll be right there."

Josie waited outside my room until I was dressed and followed me down the stairs, holding on to the back of my hoodie. As if there was anything I could do in the face of a maniac at the door. Every so often it was nice to be the big brother, I guess.

"There'd better we a meteor headed straight for the planet, Bin," I mumbled as I got to the landing. Sure enough, when I opened the door, Subin was there, finger poised on the bell. The moment he saw me he rushed in.

"Galaxy's got a gig."

"Come in," I said, closing the door behind him.

"Didn't you see your messages? Freakin' Galaxy - already."

"Galaxy?" Josie asked as Subin nearly steamrolled her.

"You mean Astro, right?" I asked, motioning with my eyes toward Josie, who did not need to learn any new words from Subin.

"Oh, yeah, Astro," he said, turning toward me.

"Hyoseop's new band?" Josie asked.

Subin and I did synchronized head-whips toward her.

"What?" I asked.

"Sungkyung broke up with you, not me," she said, smirking. "We talk."

In Subin's presence she turned from lil' sis back to devil's minion. I glared at her. She grabbed her tablet from the coffee table and slumped on the couch.

"What else do you talk about?" I asked.

She shrugged as she search out yet another Among Us video to watch.

"Oh, and Abeoji said if you got up before he got back, you should start the coffee."

Does Sungkyung say anything about me? was on the tip of my tongue but Josie was already lost in YouTube Land and well, Subin, my Forget-about-Sungkyung sponsor, was there, watching. I walked into the kitchen, motioning for Subin to follow me.

"What is this about Astro now?" I asked, filling up the coffee pot with water.

Subin leaned against the counter, pulling off his beanie. "They're DJing at Union next Friday. I think we should go."

I put a filter into the coffeemaker and popped the lid off the can of instant coffee Abeoji insisted on buying from the store. At least it was still fresh, the familiar robust aroma releasing into the air. Nothing like the smell of our Soop brews, but it made me think of Suzy. Suzy? She drinks Americano, not cold brew. Why would I dream about her telling me to give Hyoseop Noogil? Why would I dream about her at all?

"Aww, Subin, I'm touched. Are you asking me to the dance?"

"We're hoooome," abeoji announced, followed by quick little steps galloping into the kitchen..

"Binnnnnn!"

"Joooooon!" Subin said, opening up his arms to my little brother. He crouched down and held up his hand.

"Slap me high, little man."

Joon reached up and whacked Subin's outstretched palm.

"Slap me low, too slow," Bin said, lowering his hand and then pulling it out before Joon could slap it, sending Joon into a fit of hysterical laughter. In my little brother's eyes, Subin was the bomb. Same mentality. Joon wrestled out of his coat and left it on the kitchen floor as he ran out to haunt Josie.

"To what do we owe this pleasure?" abeoji asked Bin.

"Subin asked Joohyuk to a dance," Josie yelled from the couch.

"Well, good to see you two getting along," abeoji said, crouching down to pick up Joon's coat. He put the bag of bagels on the table, and walked off to the closet.

"For a recon mission, Mr. Nam," Subin called after him. "Hyoseop is going to be DJing with the new team, producing some music for a dance." He pulled out a chair from the table and rummaging through the bag, taking out a salt bagel. I grabbed some silverware and the cream cheese and slid it over to him.

"Butter?" he said.

"You did not come here to mooch a bagel," I said, taking the butter out of of the fridge and sitting across from him. "Is Astro playing at a dance something you couldn't tell me at noon?"

"Ah, checking out the competition, classic move." Abeoji walked back into the kitchen, Joon in tow. He settled Joon into his high chair and took the seat next to him.

"I couldn't sleep. I think we need to choose a developer, today. And produce better music."

"We've got time," I said, cutting into my own salt bagel.

"How are the prospects?" Abeoji asked.

"Two guys . . . hard to choose . . ." Subin said between bites.

The guy who'd come in after Jisoo was good too but he's been the first developer for Astro, not the one that Hyoseop replaced - Cha Eunwoo went through developers pretty quickly. There was something that didn't feel right about him, though. Technically he was incredible, and he had more experience than Jisoo, but choosing him . . . I don't know, it felt like it would just drag us down into weird developing team politics, which I hated. Like if we picked him we'd be saying: You have our developer, now we have yours. I wanted to start something new, not recycle. On the other hand, if we went with him we might be able to develop an app sooner.

"You know who you want?" abeoji said, lifting his chin to me.

"You do?" Subin asked, as if I was keeping a secret from him.

I shook my head.

"Sure you do, it's in the gut. Whenever we needed some fresh blood for Geek Squad, it always ended up being a gut decision," Abeoji said, spreading his sesame bagel with butter and tearing off a piece for Joon.

"The sooner we pick someone, the sooner we can create and produce. We could be doing dances, hackathons, and everything -"

"Screw dances, I want to create for people who need accessibilities, not slow dances," I said.

"Crooo dance," Joon said, raising his fistful of bagel.

"it's basically money for practicing," Subin said.

"He has a point," Abeoji said.

"I'd rather play COD."

"You want to be your best for Jihoon." Jihoon was Abeoji's old partner and the only one of them who had ended up doing anything remotely related to coding. His computer cafe, Rain Business, had been the place where Samsung, an electronic company from Seoul, had been discovered and is known worldwide. Now it's every electronic developer's dream to be plucked from obscurity, and dates were booked far out. I dropped our application and flash drive off right before AhnLee. It was full of AI technologies, but that's what simple for college students. I was pretty sure Abeoji could call in a favor? Wouldn't it be better to earn it?

"I don't know, Bin . . ."

"Procrastination is really fear of the future," abeoji said, full-on college-professor mode.

Subin nodded. "Wow, um, what he said. Come on, Hyuk, we can produce with them t

his week, make a decision, and start practicing."

What if we chose the wrong guy? What if we were never as good as we were before? But what if we were better? Wondering about it was safe . . . and stupid.

"Okay, let's do it. Guess we're going to a dance next Friday."