As the blue energy of dawn lifted and a faint golden glow spread over the sea, Yoon Tae-young woke up. It was more like surfacing from a shallow layer of consciousness than waking from sleep. His body was still in the darkness, but the sound of waves and seagulls from outside the window was already urging the start of the day. He lay with his eyes closed for a moment, moving his stiff shoulders. The spots where old scars remained throbbed like a cloudy day. It was like a weather forecast engraved on his body; he could vaguely guess today's weather just by this sensation. It would be humid, with a cool sea breeze blowing. As he pulled back the covers and stood up, the night's warmth dissipated from his body like mist.

His steps down to the mart on the creaking wooden floor were silent and practiced. As he pulled the chain of the old shutter, the morning air from outside poured into the store along with a loud noise. The still-cold light dimly illuminated the snack bags on the shelves. He flipped the 'Preparing for Business' sign hanging at the entrance to the outside and flipped the fluorescent light switch. With a flickering sound, the inside of the store instantly brightened, and the objects that had been asleep all night seemed to find their places at once. He turned on the cash register and filled it with the change he had settled the night before. The cheerful sound of coins hitting the plastic compartments was the only signal flare announcing the start of his day. Just as the sound of a gunshot once did, a long time ago.

He picked up a broom and began sweeping the front of the store. Sand washed up by the waves overnight and small bits of trash left behind by tourists were scattered on the asphalt. Only the rhythmic sound of sweeping filled the quiet beach road. A boat that had finished its work in the distant sea was slowly returning to the harbor. Tae-young stopped sweeping for a moment and stared blankly at the scenery. The quietly swaying sea and the breaking morning sunlight were captured in his eyes before fading away. He leaned down again. Everything was indifferent, and everything was his daily routine.
"…Anyway, everyone sure is diligent."