All done, custor.
The alleyways of Ikseon-dong, Jongno.
What used to be just a densely populated residential area has, over the past few years, beco a street frequented by many people, especially on weekends, thanks to the pretty shops that have sprung up in every alley.
I am a street artist in this area, setting up my spot in front of a house without a shop on the first floor, painting portraits for passersby.
Oh my, is this really ? Youve drawn so beautifully!
A woman in her twenties, expressing her joy upon receiving the drawing I handed her, showed it to her boyfriend who had been waiting and said.
Doesnt it look good? Do you think it looks like ? What do you think?
Her boyfriend, who had been leaning against the wall engrossed in his phone the entire ti I was drawing, seed disinterested in the portrait and pulled out a designer wallet.
How much do I owe you?
I looked up at the man, dressed in clearly expensive clothes and wearing a luxury watch I could only dream of, and bowed my head.
Its 25,000 won, custor.
The man opened his wallet and handed a 50,000 won bill.
Here.
Oh, your change. Just a mont.
Do I even have enough change? I might just have enough if I combine all the thousand won bills. Will he be upset if I give it all in small bills? I sat down, straightened my legs, rummaged through my pockets, and pulled out crumpled bills to make the change.
Heres your change
Gone.
Both the woman and the man. They had already walked quite a distance, the woman arm-in-arm with her boyfriend. At least the woman seed to want to say goodbye, turning around while linked to her boyfriends arm, and waved at .
Hey, over here.
I held up the change, signaling them to take it. But the woman just smiled and waved it off.
I heard the woman say as they walked further away, arm-in-arm.
You liked the drawing, thats why you tipped, right? Good job.
Thats not why I tipped.
Then why?
Just felt sorry for them standing out in the cold like that.
Oh
Tip.
Its still a foreign concept in our country, but surprisingly, many people do tip. So for liking the drawing, others, like that man, out of pity, leaving more than a small change.
I quietly looked at the change in my hand, then crumpled it up into my pocket.
Does it hurt my pride?
What a joke. I dont have such pride left.
To , both the woman who liked my drawing,
And the man who showed no interest in it and left a pity tip,
Are all people Im grateful to.
You can dig all day, but you wont find a thousand won in the ground.
I roam the alleys of Ikseon-dong all week.
Why dont I stick to a fixed spot? Isnt it obvious?
This is in front of soones house. Its only natural for a hoowner to dislike having a peddler set up right in front of their door. I have to move spots several tis a day.
Even now, the hoowner has been glaring at over the wall for a while. I smiled amicably and bowed.
Finished drawing. Ill get up now.
In fact, the hoowner said sothing while I was drawing the woman, but I begged for a little more ti to finish the portrait.
I packed my tools in a bag, collected my folding chair and easel, and walked down the alley.
Once out of the crowded alley and in a quieter area, I checked my earnings for the day.
50,000 won, 100,000 won... a total of 125,000 won. Today was a good day.
Fridays are profitable. On weekdays, its hard to even make 50,000 won. There have been days when I waited over 10 hours and didnt earn a single penny, while days like today, I work a few hours and earn a substantial amount. Of course, this luck is limited to Fridays and Saturdays.
Thats it for today.
This should cover the cost of the materials I use at my precious ho, which is also my studio. Ive paid my rent last week, so I should be comfortable for a while. Today, I want to give myself a bit of a break too.
Phew.
Between the alleys, the beautiful moon visible through the gaps in the roofs of the residential area.
I gazed at the round moon shining in the black sky for a while, then took off the hat I had been wearing all this ti.
I thought no one was around, but two won passing by glanced at my face and whispered to each other.
"Wow, he's handso."
"Why does he dress like that with such a face? Looks like a beggar."
"Hey, be quiet. He can hear us."
"Giggle, let's go."
Yes, I can hear you all.
I ran my fingers through my hair, heavily flattened by the hat. But my hair, pressed down all day under the hat, was greasy and stuck to my head. I had washed my hair with water in a public restroom, wiped it with tissue, and shook it out with my hands, so it looked sowhat presentable.
No one paid attention to in my black tracksuit covered in paint and the hat pressed down on my head.
I wandered through the crowd like a ghost, feeling unusually happy to be out.
The surroundings quieted down a bit when I reached the park in front of the Jongmyo Public Parking Lot.
I took out my phone and called my mom.
-Yes, son.
"Mom, it's your second son."
-Of course, my son. How was your day?
"It was luckier than usual. I've already finished work and I'm on my way ho."
-That's good, things will get even better for you, my son.
"How is brother?"
-He's just in his room.
"Is he reading Braille books?"
-No, he's listening to the radio in his room. Should I change it for him?
"No, I'll see him when I get ho. Did the basic living allowance for this month co in okay?"
-Yes, that and your brother's disability assistance ca in too.
"Okay, I can send about 400,000 won ho this month, so use it for living expenses."
-You don't have to do that every ti, it's hard for you too. The two of us are fine with the money we get from the governnt.
"Brother likes at, use it to buy him so pork belly"
I used my brother as an excuse, but in reality, it's mom who loves pork belly the most.
If I tell her it's for her, she won't accept it, so I always have to use my brother as an excuse. That's the only way she'll take it.
-That's great, he will love it. I'll make sure to buy it and cook it for him.
"Okay, I'll call again, mom."
-Okay, my son. Thank you always.
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