"Huh. So you're originally from the town nearby, but you've been travellin' for a while?"
Gugu simply nodded. He knew this person wasn't him, and yet, he could barely speak at all. He couldn't ignore their similarities.
The young man, who had meanwhile introduced himself as Gunter and invited Gugu inside for a drink – as thanks for helping him haul the boxes – didn't seem to buy his story. His eyes narrowed slightly as he examined Gugu more closely. He even leaned forward to get a better look, resting his crossed arms on the wooden table between them.
"You don't sound much older than me. I know pretty much everyone around here since we deliver our products to just about every village or town in the area. But I've never seen you before."
"I was pretty shy as a kid, and I left early to… go travelling, so it makes sense that we have never met before."
"Ah… I get it now. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
Shi— Gunter smiled softly and let out a small chuckle. Just like he always did when they-. Under the table, Gugu's hands gripped onto the fabric of his pants. Get ahold of yourself, of reality.
A clock's low banging, indicating the start of a new hour, finally allowed him to stop the flood of memories. He stared at it for a moment, that foreign object he had only seen on clock towers before.
"That late already? Shoot, I have to get goin'!" Gunter practically flew off his seat, grabbing a pair of keys from a small table near the exit. "See ya!"
With that, he was out the door. Overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, Gugu remained in his seat even after he could hear an engine roar to life outside. Not that he knew what that was.
A few days passed and not knowing where to go – or rather, feeling like was already home – Gugu decided to stay with Gunter and his uncle for just a little while longer. He proved to be a great help because of his physical strength, so no one really bat an eye or asked questions. Not even about his mask, surprisingly enough. Soon, a week had passed, then two… until Gugu had become a full-fledged employee of the liquor shop, although all the money he would have earned went straight into rent for his room above the shop, food and clothes.
"Gugu!" Gunter called out to him while he was wiping down the counter after a long day of work. He seemed excited about something. "Tomorrow is a special day! Do you remember the Spring Festival?"
Gugu thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I think I remember going there once or twice."
"Even if you didn't, it's a lotta fun! My friend just sent me a message, asking about where we'll meet up this year and so on..." He held up his phone with the chat open for a brief moment before starting to type something. "I'll tell him I'm bringing a new friend along this time. Aaand… done!"
Gugu smiled. Gunter reminded him of himself when he was younger. In a way, it was like… he was an older brother all over again.
"I'll send you all the details over LAIN later." Gunter continued, but then his expression suddenly changed. "Wait… you still don't have a smartphone, right?"
From watching Gunter use it, he knew a bit about their purpose and how to use some of the "apps" on it, but he never realized he'd need one himself eventually. "Yeah…" he replied, a bit dejected.
"That's fine. You can have my old one, it's still a pretty recent model so it should be fine." Gunter walked behind the counter and into the staff-only area. After a few minutes, he returned with a mildly used smartphone in hand. "Consider it a bonus to your paycheck."
"I-I can't just accept this!" Gugu protested, but Gunter interrupted him by putting a finger to his mask's snout. "Sure you can. I command you to, as your boss.". Still a bit hesitant, Gugu fumbled around awkwardly with the device.
"…"
"...Okay, time for the crash course."