19. Showroom (Part 2)
We moved forward, taking in the jungle scenery as if on a safari tour.
Various flora and fauna flowed past us like a panorama, coloring our vision.
We kept advancing deeper and deeper into the jungle.
The deeper we went, the denser the dark green became, and the darkness intensified.
Our reflections in that darkness gradually took on light, as if bathed in spotlights, enveloped in a majestic sensation, like a documentary narrator calling us out by name.
The mud grew deeper, its viscosity making walking cumbersome.
"How far do we have to go?" I asked.
"We need to reach the river," the clerk replied.
Fortunately, the river was close. As the mud reached our knees, we finally arrived and managed to leap into the river before sinking into the marsh.
The river was transparent but tinged with a faint rose color, like sweet syrup mixed in. Still, the water was clean, clear to the bottom.
Silhouettes of massive aquatic creatures drifted lazily back and forth.
I could tell they were all watching us.
"You can choose clothes from below," the clerk's languid voice echoed.
She stood on the riverbank, not entering, gazing at us—who had jumped in—as if we were discarded plastic bags by the roadside.
"You're not coming in?" I asked. "No guiding?"
"That's the fitting room area, so clerks can't join you."
"Fitting room? It's just a river."
"No, it's a fitting room. You can try on clothes there. First, pick your clothes."
Without looking around, I asked in an accusing tone,
"Where are the clothes, exactly?"
"Don't you see the shadows of giant freshwater fish below? Those are all clothes."
"…"
But I was too scared to look down. Noticing my fear, the clerk spoke in a slightly kinder tone.
"It's fine. They're just fish, not sharks or orcas, so don't worry."
"No, that's not the issue…" I said. "Diving into a deep jungle river with unknown giant creatures swimming below my feet is what's scary."
"So, how's it feel?"
"What?"
"When you voice your fear like that, doesn't it make it less scary?"
I considered her words for 0.4 seconds, then looked outside again.
"If anything, it feels more scary."
"Coward," she said.
Unable to argue, I stopped complaining about my fear.
"So?" Jinri continued. "How do we choose clothes? Those fish—no, clothes—are swimming so deep, and it's too dark to see their designs."
"Unfortunately," the clerk said through a yawn, "with ultra-luxury brand clothes, customers don't get to choose the merchandise."
"Then what do we do?"
"You wait until the clothes choose you."
A brief silence. We listened to the distant mocking chorus of monkeys before asking again.
"How do the clothes choose their owners? What's the criterion?"
"If I knew that, I wouldn't be working here," the clerk replied. "If it was known, they wouldn't be called ultra-luxury brands."
"I see…"
Jinri nodded deeply, as if profoundly convinced.
"That's a bit arrogant," I said, disgruntled.
The clerk nodded.
"Yes. Ultra-luxury brands are arrogant."
We waited for eight seconds.
A considerable amount of time passed.
After two more seconds, making a total of ten, the clerk's voice rang out.
"This is taking too long."
Her usual languor seemed tinged with slight irritation.
"It seems they don't want to choose you."
"No way…"
Jinri's face fell with genuine disappointment, while I felt hurt, my chest tightening with anxiety.
"Can't we do something?" I asked. "Like fishing them up?"
"If you do that," the clerk replied coldly, "they'll just escape."
"So we just give up?"
"Well, that's how it is. Sometimes there are customers who don't get chosen."
"What's wrong with us?"
Jinri asked in a deflated voice.
"Did they decide we're not on their level?"
"There could be various reasons…"
The clerk placed a hand on her chin, thinking before answering.
"But lately, these ones tend to dislike customers who cause accidents."
"…"
At those words, Jinri and I exchanged glances. Seeing this, the clerk gave a knowing "I thought so" look.
"You seem to have an idea why."
"…Yes," Jinri admitted honestly.
The clerk let out a heavy sigh, as if the ground had caved in locally, and extended both hands toward us.
"Please get out of the river. This is a waste of time."
Solemnly, we took her hands and reluctantly climbed out. As we did, I caught her quiet but audible mutter: "I want to quit this job…"
Looking back at the river, my fear had lessened since we first entered.
The silently swirling giant silhouettes now seemed like distant, untouchable entities.
With nothing else to do, I asked,
"So, we just leave?"
As the three of us started toward the jungle entrance, a sound like wind came from afar—no, more like the whir of a small drone's propellers.
The three of us turned toward the sound.
A swarm of flying insects was charging toward us.
Like locusts salivating over a bountiful field, the insects closed in.
"What are those?!"
Jinri's voice rose in fear.
The insects drew closer, approaching too fast to escape.
Upon closer inspection, they were mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes the size of a child's fist. Nearly a hundred of them were flying toward us.