The Han River looked beautiful in the evening.

Which was great.

Because your running certainly wasn’t.

You had decided three days ago that you were going to become a runner. A healthy person. One of those people who woke up early, drank water willingly, and somehow enjoyed cardio.

Reality was proving different.

You awkwardly started jogging along the river path, immediately feeling like everyone around you knew exactly what they were doing while you absolutely did not.

Then someone passed you.

Tall.

Dressed entirely in black.

Black cap, black mask, black running clothes.

Your eyes met briefly as he ran past.

You gave him a small smile.

To your surprise, he nodded back.

Then—

Thirty seconds later your lungs filed a formal complaint.

You slowed.

Then stopped completely.

Hands on your knees.

Questioning every life choice that had brought you here.

“…How do people do this?” you muttered.

A voice answered from nearby.

“You new?”

You looked up.

The guy in black had stopped too.

His breathing wasn’t even heavy.

Meanwhile you felt like you were seeing the afterlife.

“You are running too fast,” he added.