The old man gave Wei Junhao a free morning on Thursday.
"Go," said the old man. "See the city. Come back before noon."
Wei Junhao was twenty two years old. He had been in a mountain sect since age six. He had trained every day for sixteen years. He had never had a free morning in his life.
He stood at the apartment door.
Han-Ho gave him a transit card.
Min-Seo gave him his phone number.
Kjor gave him honey butter chips.
Moru said: stay on the paths that have the most people. If you are lost follow the paths with the most people and you will find somewhere you recognize.
River said: everything is extraordinary. You will be fine.
Baek Suri said: the escalators in the subway stations are the best part.
Wei Junhao went.
The first thing he found was the GS25.
He went in.
Cho Hyun was on shift.
Cho Hyun looked at Wei Junhao.
Wei Junhao looked at the honey butter chips display.
"You are the new one," said Cho Hyun.
"Yes," said Wei Junhao.
"Han-Ho's apartment."
"Yes."
Cho Hyun looked at him with the assessment of someone who has been managing Han-Ho's various companions for months and has developed a system.
"The chips are on the second shelf," said Cho Hyun. "Left side. The spicy ones are next to them. Try the spicy ones carefully."
Wei Junhao bought both.
Ate the honey butter ones on the street.
Had the experience.
Texted Min-Seo a photo.
Min-Seo texted back: those are the regular ones. There are also spicy ones.
Wei Junhao looked at the spicy ones in his other hand.
He had been warned.
He ate the spicy ones anyway.
Different experience.
Not unpleasant.
Requiring further investigation.
He texted Min-Seo: the spicy ones are unexpected.
Min-Seo texted back: yes.
Wei Junhao texted: not unpleasant though.
Min-Seo texted: that is the correct assessment.
Wei Junhao put his phone away.
Continued into the city.
The escalator was at the first subway station.
He had been told about the escalator.
Baek Suri had told him.
The old man had said he would have ridden it more than seven times.
Wei Junhao looked at the escalator.
It was moving.
The stairs were moving.
The stairs were stairs but they were moving and people were standing on them and going down without walking.
Wei Junhao stepped onto the escalator.
It moved him.
He arrived at the bottom.
He stepped off.
Stood still.
Turned around.
Got on the escalator going up.
It moved him.
He arrived at the top.
Stepped off.
Turned around.
Got on the escalator going down.
He rode it eleven times.
One more than the old man would have.
He sent the old man a message: I rode the escalator eleven times.
The old man replied after a longer pause than usual: I would have ridden it more.
Wei Junhao replied: I am going back for more.
He rode it three more times.
Fourteen total.
The subway itself was a different matter.
He got on at Mapo Station.
He had looked at the map.
The map had many lines.
Many colors.
Many stations.
He had identified his destination.
He had gotten on the correct line.
He was certain he had gotten on the correct line.
He was on the wrong line.
He did not know he was on the wrong line for twenty minutes.
He knew he was on the wrong line when the subway went underground and then came back up and then went underground again and then came back up and the station name said something that was definitely not on the route he had planned.
He texted Min-Seo.
I am on the subway.
Min-Seo replied: okay.
I am not sure I am on the correct subway.
Min-Seo replied: what station are you at.
Wei Junhao looked at the station sign passing the window.
Gijang.
A pause.
A longer pause.
Wei Junhao.
Yes.
Gijang is in Busan.
What is Busan.
It is a city. A different city. Not Seoul.
How far.
Four hours from Seoul.
I have been on the subway for— Wei Junhao looked at his phone. Forty minutes.
You are not on the subway anymore, Min-Seo replied. You are on the KTX. The high speed train.
What is the KTX.
It is a high speed train that goes to Busan.
It goes very fast.
Yes Wei Junhao it goes very fast.
I thought it was the subway.
The subway does not go to Busan.
I understand that now.
A long pause.
Min-Seo.
Yes.
I am in Busan.
Yes.
What do I do.
Get on the KTX going back to Seoul.
How do I find the KTX going back to Seoul.
Go to the station. Find the board that says Seoul. Buy a ticket. Get on the train.
What if I get on the wrong train again.
Then call me.
Okay.
Wei Junhao.
Yes.
Are you okay.
A pause.
Yes, Wei Junhao replied. The train is very fast. It is extraordinary.
Of course it is, said Min-Seo.
Wei Junhao arrived back in Seoul at eleven forty eight AM.
Twelve minutes before noon.
He walked into the apartment.
The old man looked at him.
"You were in Busan," said the old man.
"Yes Master."
"How."
"I got on the wrong train."
The old man was quiet.
"The KTX," said the old man. "The high speed train."
"Yes."
"How fast."
"Very fast," said Wei Junhao. "The fastest thing I have ever been on. Faster than my movement at fourth realm peak qi extension." He paused. "The countryside moved very quickly."
The old man was quiet for a moment.
"I would like to ride the KTX," said the old man.
Wei Junhao looked at his master.
"You want to ride the high speed train," said Wei Junhao.
"I have been on a mountain for ten thousand years," said the old man. "Moving things are extraordinary."
From the counter River said: "Extraordinary."
"Yes," said the old man, to River.
Min-Seo looked at Han-Ho.
Han-Ho was making notes.
"Han-Ho," said Min-Seo.
"Yes."
"The old man wants to ride the KTX."
"I heard."
"He is ten thousand years old."
"I know."
"He is the peak of the martial world."
"I know."
"He wants to ride the high speed train."
"The Busan route," said Han-Ho. "Four hours return. I can adjust the Saturday route to allow for it. The eastern section can be moved to Sunday."
Min-Seo looked at him.
"You are going to adjust your route," said Min-Seo. "So the ten thousand year old peak martial artist can ride the KTX."
"The eastern section can move," said Han-Ho. "It is not urgent."
The old man looked at Han-Ho.
Han-Ho was writing in the notebook.
"Han-Ho," said the old man.
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"The eastern section was going to need Saturday rain assessment anyway," said Han-Ho. "Sunday is better."
"Yes," said the old man. "Thank you."
Han-Ho made a note.
Saturday: KTX Busan route. Old man and Wei Junhao. Possibly Min-Seo. Eastern section moved to Sunday. Note: bring kimbap for the train.
He closed the notebook.
Baek Suri came back from her own exploration at two PM.
She had been in the Hongdae district.
She had found a street market.
She came back with three items.
The first item was a small plush shaped like a black creature with red eyes and wings.
She gave it to Moru.
Moru looked at the plush.
It looked back.
It looked like Moru.
"It is you," said Baek Suri. "I found it at a stall. The man said it is from an animation."
"What is an animation," said Moru.
"Moving pictures," said Min-Seo. "Stories told through moving pictures."
"There is a story with a creature that looks like me."
"There is a story with a creature that looks like you yes," said Min-Seo.
"What happens in the story."
Min-Seo looked at the plush.
Looked at Moru.
"The creature in the story is very powerful," said Min-Seo carefully. "And eventually helps the main character."
Moru looked at the plush.
"Like me," said Moru.
"Yes," said Min-Seo.
"Except in the animation the creature is fictional," said Moru.
"Yes," said Min-Seo.
"And I am real."
"Yes."
"And I helped the main character."
"Yes."
"By being cleaned," said Moru.
"Yes," said Min-Seo.
Moru looked at the plush for a long time.
"I like it," said Moru.
Baek Suri smiled.
The second item was honey butter chips.
For Kjor.
Kjor accepted them with the specific dignity of something that was very pleased and was not going to make a big deal about it.
The third item was a small notebook.
Plain cover. Good paper. The kind of notebook that had a satisfying weight.
She handed it to Han-Ho.
Han-Ho looked at it.
"Your notebooks are nearly full," said Baek Suri. "I counted the pages yesterday. The current one has approximately thirty pages remaining."
Han-Ho looked at his current notebook.
At the thirty pages remaining.
At the rate at which pages were being filled.
He had not noticed.
He looked at the new notebook.
"Thank you," said Han-Ho.
"There are five more in the bag," said Baek Suri. "I bought a supply."
Han-Ho looked at the bag.
At the five additional notebooks.
Made a note in the current notebook about the new notebooks.
Baek Suri watched him make a note about the notebooks.
"He made a note about the notebooks," she said to Min-Seo quietly.
"He makes notes about everything," said Min-Seo.
"Has he made a note about me."
"Probably yes."
"What does it say."
"Baek Suri. Minor sect. Southern territories. Arrived through rooftop Gate because curious. Third realm. Pets Moru. Moru allows it. Good observer. Bought notebooks."
Baek Suri looked at Han-Ho.
"How do you know what it says," said Baek Suri.
"I read it once," said Min-Seo. "He left the notebook open."
"And."
"And he made a note about me reading it."
Baek Suri looked at the notebook.
"What did that note say," said Baek Suri.
"Min-Seo reads the notebook when I leave it open," said Min-Seo. "Reads it standing up. Does not sit down first. Means he was not planning to read it. Filed."
Baek Suri looked at Min-Seo.
"He filed it," said Baek Suri.
"He files everything," said Min-Seo.