After the Century

II

Name: Choi Ye Na aka PS #00002

Age: 20

Parents: Choi Il Soo, Kang Ryu Seong

Schools Graduated and awards: Pyeong Sang Elementary School (1st)

Pyeong Sang Middle School (1st)

Pyeong Sang High School (1st)

still studying at Pyeong Sang National University- Bachelor of Advanced Modern Science and Technology Major in Macro and Micro Technology, Information, and Innovation

Mood: Sober, Vivacious

Likes: Nature and animals

Dislikes: Robots and DR

Position: Future Heiress of Pyeong Sang Appliances

Contact Code: CYN-PSA00002

Name: Lee Tae Min aka JSGT #00002

Age: 21

Parents: Yeong Seong Ah, Lee Eun Tak

Schools Graduated and awards: Elementary and High School- Jo Seong National Institute of Science and Technology

College: Bachelor of Advanced Modern Science and Technology Major in Macro and Micro Technology, Information, and Innovation

Mood: Slight Aloof, normal mood

Principles: Love is the answer to everything

Dislikes: 4.5 billion years old Earth

Position: Future Heir of Jo Seong G-Tech

Contact Code: LTM-JSGT00002

Their eye visors also showed some information.

''It’s a pain in my eye,'' and the man removed the visor.

"Right," the woman agreed and removed her visor. ''I really hate this thing. I get dizzy when I wear this. To everyone I meet, I can only see letters and numbers here. I can no longer see their faces.''

"It's better to just remove it then," the man replied with a smile.

''Thank you for helping me. If it weren't for you, I'd be a topic for this day,'' the woman said shyly. ''By the way, I'm Ye Na. Choi Ye Na.''

The woman held out her hand to the man.

''I know, I already read it here,'' the man replied and raised his visor. ''It means you are the heiress of Pyeong Sang, right?''

''You're Lee Tae Min aren't you? The heir of Jo Seong?'' the woman also asked. ''Wow, this is an unexpected meeting we have.''

''So that's it. We are rivals,'' he replied while smiling. ''But don't worry. I will not laugh at you and I will not spread anything about what happened to you.''

He also reached for Ye Na's hand and they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you and welcome," Tae Min replied.

But their interaction did not end here. As they held hands they seemed to feel goosebumps and could feel an unfamiliar electricity flowing through their bodies. They looked at their hands and looked into each other's eyes. The eyes seemed familiar to each other and also mixed with longing.

"I'm happy to meet you," Ye Na replied and just covered her mouth.

''What is it?'' Tae Min laughed. ''I'm glad too.''

Ye Na looked into Tae Min's eyes again. So is Tae Min. They still can't let go of each other’s hands.

"Is this the feeling of not having a visor? It feels good," Ye Na suddenly groaned and averted her gaze and released Tae Min.

''What is the problem?'' Tae Min suddenly asked and chased Ye Na's eyes, who were just wandering around.

''Nothing,'' Ye Na replied and put on her visor again. ''LTM-JSGT00002.''

"Why? Do you plan to contact me?" Tae Min laughed and recited her contact code in a small voice, ''CYA-PSA00002.''

"If only my contact code could be CYA-ROK, I'd be even happier," Ye Na teased. "Why are there things like this?"

ROK is the code for ordinary Korean citizens of the Republic of Korea. The number based on them depends on their age. If they are the same age and name, there will be an extension in their code that is what month they were born. If the certain person was born in February, and she is 13 years old and Choi Ye Na is also her name, her code would be CYN-ROK13-2.

''You don't want that? Because when the person likes something, he will contact you. Then it depends on you if you put other information, you are the only one in control of that,'' explained Tae Min. ' Because Mom forced me to put it on me so I have no choice. It's as if I can receive great respect here, he said. I never asked for that.''

"Same but I deleted the others immediately," Ye Na replied immediately. ''All right, I'll go first. My parents are already in contact with me.''

"Sure, see you again," Tae Min replied with a smile and put on his visor. They are going in the opposite direction.

''Isn't he going home yet?'' Ye Na asked weakly to herself and she turned around, looking at Tae Min who was walking away from her.

Ye Na just turned back in her direction and kept walking, but every time the distance between the two went away they thought of each other. They feel their heartbeat speed up. They are also restless. They seemed to want to turn around and look at each other again.

''I'm already here,'' Ye Na shouted while looking everywhere.

''Food has been prepared there,'' Ye Na's father replied as he fiddled with the large 3D virtual monitor. His extra -thick eyeglasses are also obvious, perhaps due to excessive exposure to radiation from the very big screens and monitors, which are fad things this time.

''You're not going with me, Dad?'' Ye Na asked sadly. ''Robots are always with me there.''

''That's normal. They cook and serve for you. Just go with them,'' her Dad replied calmly, and she had no choice but to go directly to the dining room and eat the food prepared.

As she ate, she frowned and just stared at the robots standing like statues. They can’t even look and talk to her. She could hear nothing but the faint gust of wind at that moment.

''I really hate such things like these,'' she whispered to herself. "Why can't we hire someone to talk to to entertain me here?"

Meanwhile, Lee Tae Min in their house is just wandering around his room. Thinking deeply and smiling. He remembered the moment with Ye Na earlier. He fell at first sight. Every time he thinks about her, he thinks he’s going to burst due to the redness of his face and his too much delight.

''How is she now?'' he asked himself. ''What is she doing now? How does she feel when she sees me?''

But his mood changed when he remembered again that they were business rivals.

''This is really annoying!'' A loud voice came from the room next to Tae Min's room. Tae Min heard that and immediately left his room. He quickly went to his mother's personal office.

'' Mom, why? What is it? What's the problem? '' Tae Min worried and saw that her fist was clenched and placed on the table. She bites her lips and her ferocity is so clear as the frown on her forehead can be seen.

''Mom, if you have---''

''It's obvious, Tae Min!'' shouted Tae Min's mom, Yeong Seong Ah. ''Take a look! Pyeong Sang has raised us again in the brand reputation ranking! We're losing it again!''

Tae Min approached her and stroked her mother's back. ''Mom, it's okay. For consecutive months, we took the lead. So, apparently, we will rise again. Pyeong Sang's performance this month was really good so--- ''

''So what? So you are now on Pyeong Sang's side! We can't let it go because if it continues, people will look down on us.''

Even Tae Min's mother doesn't even know what she's saying. Maybe because of the greed, pride, and obsession she has for her business, money, and reputation. That could be the worst human illness.

''That's not my point, Mom. We still have time. Why are you reacting like that? It's like it is already the end of Jo Seong,'' Tae Min replied calmly. ''If you need help, I'm just here.''

''No, just watch my strategies and preserve your brain because you can use that in the future of our business,'' Seong Ah replied and pointed at Tae Min's head. ''You have to study hard to make me proud.''

Seong Ah left the room and Tae Min looked again at the huge virtual monitor where the brand-reputation ranking of the companies could be seen. They are the only two competing, so being 2nd is a big deal.

These days, due to the continuous decline of the birth rate in the country since 2000, the population has also shrunk steadily. The current population is now 15 million. And their source of life is no longer agriculture or anything that existed before, but only Pyeong Sang, Jo Seong, and other small enterprises.

Former large companies have also collapsed due to the growth of these two companies. They tried hard to return by merging, but due to the out of this world innovations of Pyeong Sang and Jo Seong, they lost the competition.

Tae Min just crossed his arms while looking at the huge monitor and asked himself, ''How pathetic?''

A few days later, the two still feel the same way towards each other. It is not hidden from their knowledge that their feelings are mutual. Not until Ye Na makes the first move to contact Tae Min. She missed that sumptuous guy's sweet face. That's why she decided to contact him through a 3D virtual reality hologram powered by the ultimate-realistic digital technology these days.

''What is his contact code again?'' excitingly whispered to herself and typed the contact code, ''LTM-JSGT00002.''

''There's a call,'' a female recorded voice said that echoed throughout Tae Min's room as he studied. ''Sssh, don’t be noisy, Mom will hear us.''

He immediately went to the circular platform where the voice came from. He looked at what code was calling him.

''Wait, this is familiar,'' Tae Min said weakly. ''Why is she calling?''

While he was thinking about her sudden call, he just smiled and he immediately instructed to answer the call.

''Answer,'' Tae Min replied.

''Voice recognized,'' replied the recorded female voice. ''Answering the call.''

Tae Min was surprised when Ye Na's whole virtual body hologram suddenly appeared above the Hi-Tech circular wide platform.

Ye Na was also stunned by what she saw and when he saw Tae Min in full. But she laughed later because his eyes widened.

"Why did you call?" Tae Min immediately asked with a smile inspired by awe.

''No... Nothing,'' she replied with hesitation, ''I just want to meet you again.''