I am Smart

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Do you know how to take care of dolls?

(A photo of a woman wearing a puffy white shirt and black dolphin pants, tightly hugging two dolls on a sink)

I’m not particularly fond of dolls, but I ended up buying some, and I want to know how to care for them.

—

– ?? This isn’t DC, lol.

– What’s this nonsense?

– I wonder why.

– Why is the face like that?

– Is it okay to see the face clearly???

– Did they take it like this on purpose?

– Is this not theft?

– Lol, why would you attach that comment while hugging a doll that’s bigger than your body?

– How do you end up buying them involuntarily?

– These stuffed dolls aren’t for this gallery, go somewhere else.

– I have no idea about these stuffed dolls.

– Shut up, dumbass.

– But… wow…;; I’m so jealous, buddy.

– Judging by the tone and photo, this seems like their first community, but posting pictures of their face or body here is not okay… Delete it quickly.

– There are a few people who think the whole world lives like them in DC.

– That’s true, lol. Some people who only know DMs and Instagram come here and write like this.

– Just delete it quickly.

– Why is this person so angry, lol.

– It’s not a women’s gallery, it’s still funny, lol.

– Is this your first doll? If you come here, I’ll let you know. https://open.kakao.com/o/xxxxxx

—

Every time the notification rang, refreshing made the comments multiply.

I don’t know much, but from the comments, it seemed you shouldn’t show your face here. But there seem to be quite a few sharp-tongued people.

For now, I should delete the post. There must be a reason for the comments like that.

But I don’t know how to delete it. I started tapping the keyboard.

—

– I’ll crop the face and re-upload. By the way, how do you delete a post?

– I really don’t get this DC at all.

– I need to marry a girl like this.

– Just click the delete button above the comments and enter the password you set.

—

I quickly found the delete button. Then a box for entering the password popped up.

“……”

I can’t remember it.

I typed in a hurry, hoping I’d remember it like usual.

—

– I don’t remember it.

– What should I do?

– ?

– They’ve been absent for a month, so if you don’t know the password, you can’t delete it.

—

I became a bit troubled.

But is it really a big deal if one face goes online?

Just then, another alarm rang.

—

– You all not doing shut up is scientific.

– I’m forgetting my password too, but is your IQ borderline?

—

“……”

Reading that made an unpleasant feeling stir deep inside my chest.

I thought that falling into the internet was more miserable than fighting there, but for some reason, I couldn’t just let this comment go.

I typed away at the keyboard.

—

– I graduated from Korea University, you know.

– Lol, Korea University? Hahaha, that’s hilarious!

– If your IQ is Korea University level, then Korea is doomed.

—

Why is someone with the same numerical ID writing comments in pairs?

—

– I’m serious. And I have a high IQ.

– High IQ, huh? Haha.

– None of those claiming to have high IQs are actually smart, lol.

– That’s just your subjective, delusional statistics, you know. That’s not how statistics work. We need more data. And I don’t get why you’re acting like this towards a complete stranger.

—

After that, we exchanged a few more snarky comments. Every time I replied and refreshed, two more responses appeared.

My irritation grew, making my breathing labored. That felt a little strange.

I’ve only been told I’m not smart once in high school.

When a small misunderstanding turned into a large argument among students, he spoke up when all logic had collapsed.

– I-I didn’t mean that! Ah! It’s really frustrating! Why is my brain so slow!?

I thought it was cute. His intentions were clear, and I wasn’t actually not smart.

As time passed, the memory faded slightly, but I never felt this way before.

—

– You’re just a long-winded person, damn it.

– Did you come from a crazy place?

—

I got frustrated again at the comments that popped up.

A long-winded person? Crazy? What does that even mean?

“…… Ah, seriously!”

I argued for a while and then, fed up, threw my phone onto my pillow and collapsed onto the bed.

He must have a talent for getting on people’s nerves. Does he only do that after meals?

Slowly calming my ragged breaths, I thought about what I was doing.

That unpleasant feeling subsided a little when I hugged Bear and Gomgomi.

Time flew by while I was touching the dolls.

*

Time dragged on in boredom.

Without any tasks or hobbies, life felt dull.

Just playing with dolls wasn’t enough to fill a day.

Should I create a hobby? If so, what would be good?

But I couldn’t think of anything. Soon, evening arrived.

Just then, a notification rang from my phone.

A message from an unfamiliar number.

[Si-hyun, it’s the manager. You’ve been hired. Please come to work starting next shift.]

“……?”

Why?

*

The manager was shaking his leg as he sat, and soon Moon Si-hyun came out.

“Wow……”

The manager let out a silent admiration at Moon Si-hyun in her uniform.

She wore black slacks and a black shirt, with an apron tied at her slim waist, and a neatly tied ponytail.

The manager felt that aside from her appearance, her conduct and posture were very poised.

The atmosphere of the restaurant heavily influenced sales.

Especially for a family restaurant that was expected to have a certain level of sophistication and elegance, it was even more so.

Watching her, the manager felt a sense of satisfaction as if he had perfectly placed a fitting decor in the restaurant.

The slight inclination of his heart towards Moon Si-hyun from the sprightly young man was also due to this. He had heard the backstory behind her tardiness.

It wasn’t an urgent situation requiring a new hire. He felt a slight pang of guilt when selecting her.

But from a profit-seeking perspective, it was perhaps a natural choice.

*

The manager listed out what I needed to do and how the staff should conduct themselves before leaving the store.

The restaurant had a structure of two kitchen staff and four floor staff, including me.

The manager wouldn’t always be around but would come occasionally to help, as the woman next to me said.

“You probably won’t be too busy. It was a bit tight with three people, so with four, you should be fine. Right now, I’d say we need about 3.5 staff members. Three would be pushing it, and four would leave us with a little extra time. Hehe. So, even if you’re new, it should be alright.”

She babbled on. Her name was Lee Da-ram. The manager assigned her to help me get accustomed.

Her short, bright brown hair suited her small stature, and her speech and actions gave off a bubbly impression.

Da-ram said she would do a quick outfit check on me and looked me up and down.

“Wow…… the proportions…… no, the aura is really a bit adult? It’s the kind of image I’ve always wanted to be? You get told that a lot, right?”

“No, it’s the first time I’ve heard it.”

“Really!?”

At that, Da-ram widened her eyes again, chattering to herself before glancing at her watch.

“Oh, it’s time to go in. I’ll help you out as best I can. Let’s do our best together!”

Following Da-ram, I exited the staff room and entered the dining area. Warm lighting surrounded us.

To be honest, I wanted to refuse the close proximity of instruction because it’s burdensome. I had always done well in my previous experiences.

Moreover, my memory, critical thinking, and adaptability were my specialties, and with extensive tutoring experience, I had excellent situational awareness.

I pictured myself, as usual, getting praised by everyone with “Is it really your first time?”

*

“These two are for table 13.”

“Yes.”

I received and placed the plates that had come from the kitchen onto the cart. All the dishes were beautifully garnished.

The restaurant’s popularity seemed to highly depend on the chef’s cooking skills.

I took the cart out alone. The dining area looked even prettier with its lighting. More people had gathered compared to before.

For a few seconds, I stared blankly, then “Ah!” I stumbled back to walking.

“……”

It felt like a fog had settled in my mind.

How many were there again?

Ah.

Before long, I remembered and walked over to the table.

“Here’s your carbonara spaghetti and T-bone steak.”

“Huh? We just arrived!”

*

Time crawled by slowly. And not in the way I expected.

I hadn’t committed any major blunders, but I made many small mistakes.

Each time, Da-ram would come over and remind me of what I should do.

As her familiar instructions repeated, I felt my spirit slowly eroding. Mistakes didn’t matter.

But it was odd to keep repeating the same mistakes. That wasn’t typical.

Was it just because I was in an unfamiliar environment? It had to be.

The other staff didn’t show irritation or complain when I made mistakes.

Were they simply mirroring the gentle demeanor of the manager?

They accepted it like it was natural because I was new, which only made my face heat up even more.

After that, I had no room to think. The evening peak hour arrived.

Everyone else seemed to be moving as if they were programmed. The confusion I had been feeling often returned again.

And just like that, the shift ended.

*

“Thank you for your hard work.”

After finishing cleaning up, we gathered to say our goodbyes and gradually departed.

Along with that, I changed and stepped outside. It was dark and cold.

I squatted on the step outside. People wandered by.

I exhaled. Perhaps it was still early spring because my breath came out visible.

“…… Hmph.”

Since my body changed, nothing has gone my way.

“Si-hyun!”

I jumped slightly at the sudden voice from behind.

Turning around, I saw Da-ram there.

Among the floor staff, it seemed Da-ram was the busiest and had the most struggles, yet her voice still resonated with energy.

She wore suspenders with several badges, sported an eco bag, and had her brown bob swaying.

Da-ram’s casual outfit matched her personality.

“I was looking for you for a while; I guess you were out here. How was today?”

“……”

It was fine. I hesitated to say that out of pride.

Da-ram had helped me from the start to the end of the shift.

Yet, whether then, or now, Da-ram had never shown a displeased expression. If anything, she seemed rather cheerful.

“What direction are you heading? Oh, we’re going the same way. Let’s go together.”

Perhaps my mood showed on my face, but as we walked together, Da-ram shared several nice comments.

She said I did well for my first time, and confessed that when she started, she broke a few dishes.

… That warm consideration only made me feel more out of place.

As we walked, Da-ram began to lag behind due to her shorter strides.

Each time she caught up with me, she’d laugh awkwardly, “Hehe.”

We passed by a building, and I finally spoke up.

“…… Uhm, Da-ram, thank you for helping me.”

My lips felt a bit heavy. I couldn’t do that; in tutoring, I was taught to keep up or get left behind.

“No, it’s fine. I actually enjoy teaching others.”

Da-ram laughed again, “Hehe.”

Whether Da-ram was being sincere or polite, that remark somehow lightened my heart a little.

“But, you seemed a bit different from first impressions. At first, you looked completely perfect? That kind of feeling—”

That remark made me abruptly stop walking.

Da-ram was laughing to herself, then suddenly turned to me, wide-eyed.

“Ah! No, I didn’t mean it like that. Um… Ah! I mean, I thought you were really cute! I don’t mean it in a bad way. You know what I mean, right?”

Da-ram flapped her hands in a panic, trying to clarify.

But that was exactly the case.

*

“Oh, I’m here.”

The place where Da-ram stopped was in front of the colorful building.

A neon-filled sign adorned the structure, and people inside were manipulating machines taller than them.

“What is this…?”

“Oh, it’s an arcade. Hehe… I’ve loved it since I was a kid. I still come here often after work.”

Da-ram blushed a bit, twirling her hair.

Normally, I wouldn’t even glance at a place like this.

But…

“……”

The gigantic scale, the colorful neon sign, the persistent beeping noises. I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

Da-ram gazed at me intensely.

“… Si-hyun, have you ever been to an arcade?”

“No, never.”

“Seriously!?”

“Yes.”

What a complete lady, I thought, muttering to myself when suddenly Da-ram shifted to a slightly shy vibe.

After a pause, she said tentatively,

“W-well, if you have some time, would you like to go in together?”

Da-ram’s eyes sparkled more than before.