A Sharp Decision

The third floor of an ordinary building in an ordinary side street of Hongdae. I open the door and wonder why I've come back here. I take a seat at the long, fake-wooden table and observe the place that I've visited frequently for three years now. The house music that jumps out of the speakers doesn't fit the general mood of the place, but nobody seems to care.

I notice that the staff has changed. There's a skinny girl who tries too hard to look like a boy, a fat guy who dresses well, and an errand boy who, judging from his weird behaviour, must have done something horribly wrong. There's one other customer, sitting in his chair, reading a comic book, or pretending to read, I can't tell. He's waiting, too, but they call me first. 

"This way, please," the errand boy says. I give him a sceptical look, but say nothing. It's none of my business after all. The girl guides me to a chair by the window. After everything is over they want me to pay, more than last time. I look at the fat guy and he says, "everything costs more these days, even hair cuts." I hand him two bills and decide that I won't come back.