I Can't Love an NPC Part 3

#CantLoveNPC24_69

END OF COMMERCIAL BREAK ON TWIT STREAM

Wabi walks back into the streaming studio, i.e., his living room. He checks his computer.  

[Hana] Get ready, everybody. When the time is right, I'm going in!

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[Hana] Relax, I can handle the chudheads.

[Professor Moon] You definitely can't, Hana!

[Hana] It's so funny that Wabi had a Korean girlfriend who dumped him.

[Professor Moon] We have just witnessed the end of civilization!

...

.

.

#CantLoveNPC24_69

#CantLoveNPC24_67

---🏨In the Hotel,

[Moon] I wonder what Wabi is going to say about us singing the National Anthem. I doubt it will be pretty.

[Hana] Dal can DDOS Wabi if we have to.

[Moon] Don't antagonize them, Hana! They're called chudheads for a reason!

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#CantLoveNPC24_66

---🏨In the Hotel,

[Hana] We need this. This is becoming a huge stream. When the time is right, I'm going in.

[Professor Kim] Going in?

[Hana]I'm going to call... I mean message Wabi live on the stream.

#CantLoveNPC24_67

#CantLoveNPC24_65

---🏨In the Hotel,

[Professor Kim] What freaks me out is that you actually watch this stuff and don't have brain damage, Hana.

[Moon] He mentioned our band and the concert.

[Hana] Ticket sales Dal?

[Dal] Just passed 5,000.

[Hana] I told you.

#CantLoveNPC24_66

#CantLoveNPC24_64

---🏨

Watching the commercial break to the Twit stream from their hotel in DC,

[Hana] Wabi called Jimin, Robocop. That's a bit freaky. A bit too close to home.

[Professor Kim] That didn't freak me out. 

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#CantLoveNPC24_63

{Wabi} Apparently, we're just getting started. Call the chudhead army. The rest of this stream is going to be insane. We passed 70K viewers. Wabi Out.

START OF COMMERCIAL BREAK ON TWIT STREAM

...

.

.

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#CantLoveNPC24_62

{Wabi} We're GOING to a commercial break, chudheads! That was insane! AHHHHHH! Insane. 

<<chudpilled345>> DO MATRIX AGAIN!

<<illegalimmigrant654>> MATRIX!

{Wabi} Sorry chudheads, I'm only doing the MATRIX once for ya today.

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#CantLoveNPC24_61

<<Chudder345>> NOOOO! Don't stop!

<<freatman654> NOOO!

<<비서762>> 한국의 모든 직장 여성은 85G 브래지어와 30cm 미니스커트를 착용합니다.

<<mylifesucks21>> yer killing me

<<성형수술소녀534>> 코 성형을 받으면 라면 무료 제공 

#CantLoveNPC24_62

#CantLoveNPC24_60

<<toiletface436>> It repeats different angles til 9:35.

{Wabi} There's new stuff at 9:35, toiletface?

<<toiletface436>> Yah! Different angles of the same thing until 9:35.

{Wabi} OK. Got it. We'll forward to 9:35 after the commercial break.

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#CantLoveNPC24_59

{Wabi} WAAAA! AHHHH! The Po Po got'em. The Po Po got 'em after Jimin rearranged his family jewels. Is that all? The video still has 15 minutes left!?

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#CantLoveNPC24_58

{Wabi} Is there more?

<<bluepilled24>> The police come

<<WWG1623>> The singing!

<<indepdentcountryoftexas23>> Da PO PO

<<Austinrules43>> da police!

Wabi plays the video a bit further and shows the police jumping on and cuffing the shooter.

#CantLoveNPC24_59

#CantLoveNPC24_57

{Wabi} AHHH!  She's like robocop in the shape of a Korean K-Pop singer. That's so insane. That happened here?!

---🏨In the hotel,

[Hana] Dal! Analytics?

[Dal] Website hits way up. Ticket sales up. Searches for Jimin way up. APP downloads up.

#CantLoveNPC24_58

#CantLoveNPC24_56

{Wabi} AHHHH!  WAHHHH!  YEAHHHHH!  WAAAAAA!  AHHHH! That hadda hurt!

{Wabi} That was so insane! Who is this girl? Jimin ran at the shooter! That's f***in insane!  Don't do this at home, chudheads! You'll die!

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#CantLoveNPC24_55

{Wabi} Oh F***! He took another shot at her. She dodged it again! Is this real?! Jimin is closing in. The shooter's bailing. 

In the video, Jimin kicks the shooter between the legs. Wabi pauses the video and starts screaming random sounds.

#CantLoveNPC24_56

#CantLoveNPC24_54

{Wabi} AH! I'm doing it. I'm gonna press play.

<<heartstopper324>> DO IT!

<<reallyaboy23>> DO IT!

<<NEETandPROUD23>> DO IT!

Wabi rewinds and starts the video again for more commentary. Jimin is running toward the shooter in the video.

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#CantLoveNPC24_53

{Wabi} Oh no! He's lining up to take another shot.

Wabi pauses the video.

{Wabi} Hey! toiletface, are you screwin me? Am I gonna get banned?

<<toiletface436>> It's cool Wabi. Relax.

#CantLoveNPC24_54

#CantLoveNPC24_52

<<militarybrat123>>I love you Jimin.

<<malaysianstud42>> Jimin is👽 

{Wabi} This video has a good angle of Jimin running toward the shooter.

{Wabi} YAAH! Look at her go! Look at Jimin go. Why is she running at him? YAAAHH!  AHHHH! 

#CantLoveNPC24_53

#CantLoveNPC24_51

{Wabi} What! Jimin just took off. No one else is even ducking. There's no sound in this vid. Is she running away?

<<soybeanpastegirl23>> Jimin is running at the shooter.

<<militia034>> toward shooter

<<frommycolddeadhands43>> Jimin Sigma

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#CantLoveNPC24_50

{Wabi} OK. So this Jimin chick jerks to the side, and there's the first shot. Oh! Here's a view from behind. Same thing. I can't see the shooter.

...

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#CantLoveNPC24_49

{Wabi} You better not be s***ing me toiletface.!!

<<toiletface436>> no cap.

{Wabi} OK. We'll keep playing it.

Wabi restarts the video from the beginning and gives commentary.

#CantLoveNPC24_50

#CantLoveNPC24_48

{Wabi} Wait! They'll ban me on Twit if I show someone getting shot. Toiletface, does anyone die? Does anyone get shot?

<<toiletface436>> It's cool. No one dies. 

No one gets shot.

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#CantLoveNPC24_47

<<toiletface436>> Yeah. Yeah. It shows the shooter later.

{Wabi} OK. Let's watch more.

{Wabi} Whoa! It's a long video. Let's restart and play again.

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#CantLoveNPC24_46

{Wabi} Oh! It hit the monument. Let me rewind.

Wabi closely watches the video and pauses it when the bullet hits the monument and ricochets.

{Wabi} That wasn't a small gun. Is the shooter on the video later toilet face?

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#CantLoveNPC24_45

<<socialist54>> You can see it hit the monument.

<<fascist43>> It was so close.

<<conservative5322>> NOT so CLOSE

<<liberal2143>> 🐸

<<yeahguns23>> 🔫

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#CantLoveNPC24_44

{Wabi} Oh! Her name is Jimin. She must have seen the shooter. She didn't dodge the bullet. It's impossible. That's a freaky thought. No one else flinched. I wonder how close the bullet came?

#CantLoveNPC24_45

#CantLoveNPC24_43

{Wabi} Serious like. That's pretty freaky. That girl... 

<<CantLoveNPCFan>> Jimin

<<indieKpopfan>> JIMN

<<ILOVEUJIMIN>> JIMIN💘

<<FLASHMEJIMIN>> JIMin❤️

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#CantLoveNPC24_42

<<Lam001>> I can dodge bullets!

<<Lolli001>> MATRIC F*** YA

<<Pop001>> MATRIX! WABI's DOING IT.

<<Trinh001>>🐸

<<Tam001>> 👏🤣

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#CantLoveNPC24_41

Wabi mics up again.

{Wabi} But Wait! Seriously. You guys don't understand. You can't dodge a bullet in real life. This isn't a movie. You just get shot and die. If any of you are really in a live shooting event, get the f*** outta there.

#CantLoveNPC24_42

#CantLoveNPC24_40

Wabi puts down his sandwich, adjusts the camera, stands up, leans back, and starts flailing his arms like Neo dodging bullets in the Matrix. 

The chatter stream accelerates so fast it blurs on the screen. 

#CantLoveNPC24_41

#CantLoveNPC24_39

$5superchat

<<richasF>> DO THE MATRIX

{Wabi} OK. I'll do it

<<FarFromHome>> YAH

<<TheSeersCurse>> YEAH

<<InnocenceLost>> MATRIX MATRIX

<<FullFlight>> 🐸

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#CantLoveNPC24_38

<<pleasedateme67>> Yeah!

<<thingirl34>> DO THE MATRIX

<<whipsnchains34>> F YEAH

<<virginiaisforlosers563>> F F F F

{Wabi} Ah! Hell! You want me to do it. I don't want to get up. I'm eating.

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(Wabi is known for doing a visual stunt where he imitates the famous scene in the Matrix movie where Neo slows down time and dodges bullets by flailing his arms like an octopus.)

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Wabi stops the video

{Wabi} NO WAY!  HOLY F****! AHHHHH!

<<MakiTheKing>> She dodged the bullet.

<<TRINHtheQUEEN>> MATRIX

<<Mrs.Ito>> MATRIX

<<TrinhwillWhipU>> WAwwawawawawaw ch ch ch ch

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#CantLoveNPC24_35

The compilation video switches to another perspective and repeats. In the second perspective, BxGxR is much larger and centered on the screen from a side view.

From perspective two, Jimin jerks to the side, and the shot is heard.

#CantLoveNPC24_36

#CantLoveNPC24_34

In the video, Jimin jerks to the side just as the first shot rings out and ricochets off the Washington Monument.

...

{Wabi} AHHHH! WAAAAA!  F***!!! DID YOU SEE THAT! That's some scary s***. What were they aiming at?

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#CantLoveNPC24_33

{Wabi} It was a nice day!

<<alexa45>>  ya

<<siri22>> F F F F F 

<<cortana45>> 🐸

<<vrgirlfriend56>>🔫

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#CantLoveNPC24_32

A vertical amateur-shot phone video comes up on Twit streamer Wabi's screen in screen live video. Someone is filming from a low perspective below the monument platform, and BxGxR is in the frame but relatively small.

#CantLoveNPC24_33

#CantLoveNPC24_29

---🏨In the hotel,

[Hana] Dal, Check our website traffic.

[Moon] That's insane! Nothing will happen in a few seconds.

[Dal] There's a slight tic up in our website traffic.

[Moon] Must be a coincidence.

#CantLoveNPC24_30

#CantLoveNPC24_28

{Faceless Voice Behind Wabi} Wabi, so... this is a K-Pop band called BxGxR, and they are even having a concert here at Capital 2 Arena in D.C., in a few days.

{Wabi} Oh! They're big!

---🏨

In the hotel,

[Hana] Yes. Wabi called us by name!

#CantLoveNPC24_29

#CantLoveNPC24_27

---🏨

[Hana] Most chatters are young boys watching on a computer from their mom's house and just trying to get a reaction.

[Professor Kim] Oh! So these shows not only have no standards, they systematically encourage extremism.

[Hana] Yup.

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#CantLoveNPC24_26

---🏨

In the hotel room,

[Professor Kim] Are Americans really like this?

[Hana] Well, yeah. But chatters on Twit streams are acting crazy on purpose just to try to get Wabi to read their chats.

#CantLoveNPC24_27

#CantLoveNPC24_24

$5superchat

<<ChicaDebarEnBaja>> like your Mexican girl who dumped you because you told her you were taking her out for a nice meal, she got dressed up, and you took her to Taco Bell!

#CantLoveNPC24_25

#CantLoveNPC24_23

$5superchat

<<アダルトショップオーナー34>> like your Japanese girl who dumped you because you walked into the grandma's house with dirty boots AND sat on the couch and put your feet up on the table!  AHHH! 

#CantLoveNPC24_24

#CantLoveNPC24_22

---🏨

In the hotel room,

[Moon] Why is that one chat message staying on the screen?

[Hana] It says 25. They paid Wabi 25 dollars to be seen. It's called a super chat.

[Professor Kim] Oh! It's even pay-to-play.

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<<properKoreanlady3>> DEATH PENALTY!

<<seoulsista54>> HUNG and DEATH PENALTY.

<<SeoulTourguide234>> I H8 AMericans.

<<kPOPrules76>> CUT IT OFF!

<<incheonw/10inches>> Give him a break.

#CantLoveNPC24_22

#CantLoveNPC24_20

$25superchat,

<<AXeEffect23>> Wabi bought his Korean girl a coffee with way too many calories. So, he took it himself. Brought it on a bus. Manspread on the reserved pregnant lady seats. Talked way too loud, and spilled. It's all on film!

#CantLoveNPC24_21

#CantLoveNPC24_19

{Voice Behind Wabi} You know, like your Korean girlfriend who dumped you but hotter and with money.

<<incel548>> you were dumped, ha ha ha ha ha

<<transrights834>> DUMPED

<<killemall823>> 🗑️

<<kgolddigger23>> You were dumped by a Korean?!

#CantLoveNPC24_20

#CantLoveNPC24_18

{Wabi} (Yelling) AHH! AHHH! Wait! I really know nothing about this. Who are these people?

A voice yells from behind Wabi in the room where he is streaming from.

{Voice behind Wabi} It's a K-Pop band!

#CantLoveNPC24_19

#CantLoveNPC24_17

Wabi pulls up a screen in screen on his Twit stream and starts the compilation video of the live shooter event in D.C. yesterday.

Wabi suddenly stops the video.

#CantLoveNPC24_18

#CantLoveNPC24_16

Wabi pulls toiletface436's chat to another tab

<<toiletface436>> It's legit, Wabi! DO IT 🐸

{Wabi} YAAAH!  OK. It's toiletface. Let's start the video.

#CantLoveNPC24_17

#CantLoveNPC24_15

<F***Me>> Hi Wabi

<<TwitKaren>> Do you have to eat on screen?!

<<YOLO528>> toiletface

{Wabi} If this is some fake video... you're out toiletface. OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT. YAAAAAH! 

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#CantLoveNPC24_14

{Wabi} OK. Let's take a vote. WNN or Toiletface's compilation video.

<<tmc_ffhil>> TOILET FACEEEEEEE!

<<DEI_hire34>> toiletface

<<illegalimmigrant983>> 🔫🐸

<<the_manga_cowboy>> toiletface

<<catgirlsgotospace>> toiletface kkkkk

#CantLoveNPC24_15

#CantLoveNPC24_13

{Wabi} Ha! My life is a deep fake!

--- 🏨

In the hotel room,

[Professor Kim] This guy is crazy.

[Hana] He is, but he has a lot of followers. Relax, it's not all bad.

---

#CantLoveNPC24_14

#CantLoveNPC24_12

{Wabi} Oh! Is this legit or deepfaked?

<<wabihead23>> My life is a deep fake

<KpopHEAD234>> LEGIT

<<巫女32>> 私は自撮りをするためだけにここで働いている。

<<Alphaa**>> LEGIT

<<skibidi987>> 🚽🪠

<<2ndAMEND444>> 🔫

#CantLoveNPC24_13

#CantLoveNPC24_11

Wabi pulls a tab from a super chatter, toiletface436, who paid him $5 for his message to be highlighted.

<<Toiletface436>> Do this one Wabi! It's a collection of raw footage. Compilation video. It has no commentary to interfere. link...

#CantLoveNPC24_12

#CantLoveNPC24_10

Chatters shout back, causing the live chat stream to scroll quickly.

<<lifesucks4r3>> NO WNN. 🔫

<<themangacowboy>> NO NEWS.

<<makepotgreatagain9>> wababbababababa

<<sexykorean234>>something else 

<<brainrot9964>>🐸

#CantLoveNPC24_11

#CantLoveNPC24_09

Wabi takes a bite of a roast beef sandwich on the table next to him and starts typing on his computer.

{Wanabi} Do you want to see the WNN coverage or something else? Chat me!

#CantLoveNPC24_10

#CantLoveNPC24_08

{Wabi} It's time to see what the hell happened in D.C. yesterday. I've been gaming all day and haven't seen any of the footage yet, so this is going to be my fresh take. 

<<淫漫画家34>> 大きなお尻が好きだし、嘘はつけない。

<<KpopALLWAYS>>LOL

#CantLoveNPC24_09

#CantLoveNPC24_07

{Wabi} No! You don't get it chudheads. This is actually going to be awesome. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard there was a live shooter on the National Mall in D.C. yesterday.

<<blindgunowner91>>🔫🔫🔫🔫

#CantLoveNPC24_08

#CantLoveNPC24_06

<<nudeism4ever54>> NO CURRENT EVENTS!

<<basementdweller234>> NO NO 💔

<<steamer23>> Vid game girls NOW! 🥱

<<귀여운소녀45>> Show BxGxR! YES!

#CantLoveNPC24_07

#CantLoveNPC24_05

{Wabi} I see one of the chatters mentioned K-Pop. She knows. It's time for some current events before we rate the accuracy of the 2-d giggles.

<<猫カフェMOCHA45>> ハローキティを食べた。 

<<人生を愛するニート23>> 何年ですか？

<<brainrot53>NO!

#CantLoveNPC24_06

#CantLoveNPC24_04

Hana sends a chat under her alias pinkhair955.

chatters,

<<pinkhair955>> Hey MEGA-VIRGIN! Our K-pop idols are way hotter than your video game girls.

<<ieatroadkill34>> LOL

<<chudhead5234>> BAYONETTA!!  

<<catgirl234>>🐸

#CantLoveNPC24_05

#CantLoveNPC24_03

---

🏨In the hotel room,

[Professor Kim] You're telling me 35,000 people are watching this kid eat a sandwich.

[Hana] Yes. It's going to be a lot more. I better get in quick and send a chat!

#CantLoveNPC24_04

#CantLoveNPC24_02

{Wabi} What?! Only 35K?! Hey! Chudheads! Call the chudhead army. This is going to be huge. I'm gonna be playing the fans' choice top three sexiest video game girls tonight! YOU CAN'T MISS IT!

#CantLoveNPC24_03

#CantLoveNPC24_01

#IcantLOVEanNPC

#CantLoveNPCScene24Start

Brainrot Battle

On the stream, Wabi walks into his living room with a sandwich and pets his dog.

Listening to the TV,

{Twit streamer Wabi} (Yelling for no reason) YAAAHHH!  WAAAAAA!

#CantLoveNPC24_02

#CantLoveNPC23_15

Twit streamer Wabi is coming back. It's time, time for the brainrot battle.

#CantLoveNPCScene23End

#CantLoveNPC24_01

#CantLoveNPC23_14

[Professor Kim] People are strange.

[Hana] kkkkk, I think you finally get it. And we want those strange people to buy our concert tickets. This is a true brainrot battle tonight, but I think I can outsmart them and push our sales forward.

#CantLoveNPC23_15

#CantLoveNPC23_13

[Professor Kim] To avoid misinformation when there are no standards but popularity, you really need to apply critical thinking skills...

[Hana] And almost no one watching the streaming is using any critical thinking skills, or course.

#CantLoveNPC23_14

#CantLoveNPC23_12

[Professor Kim] So essentially, it's broadcasting but without editors, fact-checkers, or a professional production crew, but young people get their news this way?! That sounds dangerous. A lack of standards will only devolve into mob rule.

#CantLoveNPC23_13

#CantLoveNPC23_11

[Hana] Eum... there are some standards. You can get temporarily banned if you show violence or your underwear, but sometimes even those don't apply.

[Moon] That means you would've got banned on Twit for your flashing stunt?

[Hana] No comment.

#CantLoveNPC23_12

#CantLoveNPC23_10

[Hana] I'll explain it this way, Professor Kim. It's the opposite of traditional news broadcasting in South Korea with standards. You can lie, insult, and just make things up. Streamer broadcasts have almost no standards except popularity.

#CantLoveNPC23_11

#CantLoveNPC23_09

[Hana] It's what lots of young people, especially Americans, watch these days. Basically, someone spouting off of things in front of a live audience that gets fan feedback through a stream of chats. ...good, bad, truth, lies? It's everything.

#CantLoveNPC23_10

#CantLoveNPC23_08

[Professor Kim] Eum, Hana, so what is this we're watching? Is it TV or a podcast?

[Moon] Is this one of those insane "chatter" streams?

[Hana] Eum, Moon has seen me watch a few of these, but this may be a bit of a shock to you, Professor Kim.

#CantLoveNPC23_09

#CantLoveNPC23_07

[Hana] OK. We're set. Wabi's not starting our segment for about 15 minutes.

[Professor Kim] Good. I have a few more questions.

[Moon] So do I. I don't watch this stuff.

#CantLoveNPC23_08

#CantLoveNPC23_06

[Hana] Set up live trackers on everything! Ticket sales, app downloads, website views, social media views on all our accounts, Korean waver blog mentions...

[Dal] Got it!

#CantLoveNPC23_07

#CantLoveNPC23_05

Hana logs in with her burner account and mirrors Wabi's Twit stream to play through their room's large-screen TV. 

[Hana] Dal, I want you to set up the other computer so you can give me live analytics all night.

[Dal] Which data streams?

#CantLoveNPC23_06

#CantLoveNPC23_04

Hana sometimes watches Wabi's Twit streams from her burner account in Seoul, <<pinkhair955>>. 

Everyone is together in their D.C. hotel room, waiting for Wabi's segment on the National Mall shooting to start.  

#CantLoveNPC23_05

#CantLoveNPC23_03

Wabi has millions of followers, and for some of his top live streams, he gets several 100,000 simultaneous viewers. Wabi calls his followers chudheads, which is a slur they proudly adopt to be contrarians.

#CantLoveNPC23_04

#CantLoveNPC23_02

Wabi often acts like an a** and doesn't care. He also does gameplay videos, current events, and slice-of-life videos. Wabi is terminally online, has brain rot, and his bias is mostly toward crude humor, and don't give a f***. 

#CantLoveNPC23_03

#CantLoveNPC23_01

#IcantLOVEanNPC

#CantLoveNPCScene23Start

Hana vs. Twit Streamer

Wabi is one of the most-watched Twit streamers. He is known for his yelling, swearing, and funny reaction videos, where he crudely makes fun of other people during live streams. 

#CantLoveNPC23_02

#CantLoveNPC22_53

[Hana] Ready to battle the chudhead army, of course. You guys won't be any help so I'll be all on my own, and I'm on their territory. To think BxGxR's future may come down to this...

#CantLoveNPCScene22End

#CantLoveNPC23_01

#CantLoveNPC22_52

[Hana] Try to read up a bit and share it with the robots. I have to go for a walk again and clear my mind. I have to be ready.

[Professor Kim] Ready for what?

#CantLoveNPC22_53

#CantLoveNPC22_51

[Hana] I'll send you and the team a website link that translates some of the English internet slang into Korean, like a brainrot dictionary with translation. 

#CantLoveNPC22_52

#CantLoveNPC22_50

[Professor Kim]  Brainrot and edgelord don't sound like good character traits!

[Hana] kkkkk, good character traints, kkkkk. It's going to be a strange night for you. You'll be learning a foreign language inside a foreign language.  

#CantLoveNPC22_51

#CantLoveNPC22_49

[Hana] These types of live stream broadcasts typically draw out the worst of the edgelords who put their brainrot on full display.

[Professor Kim] Brainrot? Edgelords? I don't speak Internet English.

#CantLoveNPC22_50

#CantLoveNPC22_48

[Hana] On the internet, chud means something like a sexist, racist, conspiracy theorist with a superiority complex and an overemphasis on negativity.

[Professor Kim] (Ironically) Sounds like great company, kkkkk.

[Hana] Exactly, kkkkkk.

#CantLoveNPC22_49

#CantLoveNPC22_47

[Hana] This Twit streamer called Wabi has a group of followers he calls the chudhead army.

[Professor Kim] Chudhead?

[Hana] Chud is really derogatory American slang.

#CantLoveNPC22_48

#CantLoveNPC22_46

[Hana] Do you even know what Twit streaming is, Professor Kim?

[Professor Kim] Eum... no.

[Hana] Ha! It's going to be a strange night for you. Toilet humor and people pulling down their pants, etc.

#CantLoveNPC22_47

#CantLoveNPC22_45

[Hana] This could be really big. The Twit streamer has a large following. And the type of young people that watch him actually would buy our tickets on a whim. But he's an a** and may shred us, too.

#CantLoveNPC22_46

#CantLoveNPC22_44

In the late afternoon, Hana's phone beeps with a notification that an American Twit streamer she follows is going to cover the shooting in downtown D.C. with a live reaction video in the early evening.

#CantLoveNPC22_45

#CantLoveNPC22_43

[Hana] I certainly didn't plan on gaining attention for the band by being shot at, but it's certainly having a positive on our ticket sales, just not enough.

[Professor Kim] That was crazy yesterday. It's still sinking in.

#CantLoveNPC22_44

#CantLoveNPC22_42

Hana and Dal sit by a computer to see the effects of widespread media coverage of the National Mall shooting on their social media reach. BxGxR's media coverage in America from the shooting is very positive and notes their upcoming concert.

#CantLoveNPC22_43

#CantLoveNPC22_41

They go back to the hotel. Moon gathers the equipment he needs to do a sound check. Hana wakes up the robots Ara, Jimin, Dal, and Tae.

#CantLoveNPC22_42

#CantLoveNPC22_40

[Hana] OK. We don't have the publicity event at Dupont Circle until tomorrow. And the final rehearsal is the next day. I want to go back to the hotel and do a thorough check of our social media with Dal.

#CantLoveNPC22_41

#CantLoveNPC22_39

---

Talking together in the cafe after the phone call ended.

[Hana] So you want to go for a sound check today, Moon?

[Moon] I think it's a good idea.

#CantLoveNPC22_40

#CantLoveNPC22_38

📞[Moon] Thanks. We have to check our schedule, but we will probably come in.

📞[Capital 2 Arena Manager] OK. Bye. Talk to you later. I'm here anytime. 

#CantLoveNPC22_39

#CantLoveNPC22_37

📞[Capital 2 Arena Manager] You can come to the arena to do sound checks in advance so you're not so busy on the final rehearsal day.

📞[Moon] Can we come in the afternoon?

📞[Capital 2 Arena Manager] Sure. Anytime.

#CantLoveNPC22_38

#CantLoveNPC22_36

📞[Capital 2 Arena Manager] I know it's tight giving you only one day to rehearse, but I wanted to let you know that the stage and sound system is now set up. 

#CantLoveNPC22_37

CantLoveNPC22_35

Hana's phone rings while she is looking at it.

Ring. Ring.

[Hana] Oh!

Hana picks up and puts the phone on speaker.

📞[Capital 2 Arena Manager] I saw your ticket sales jump upward this morning, and I thought of you.

#CantLoveNPC22_36

#CantLoveNPC22_35

Hana's phone rings while she is looking at it.

Ring. Ring.

[Hana] Oh!

Hana picks up and puts the phone on speaker.

📞[Capital 2 Arena Manager] I saw your ticket sales jump upward this morning, and I though of you.

#CantLoveNPC22_36

#CantLoveNPC22_34

Moon brings back the coffee.

[Hana] This place has a weird vibe. Let's take a few sips while it's hot and go back to our hotel.

[Moon] If you say so.

Hana checks her phone.

[Hana] Oh! Five hundred more ticket sales in the past 30 minutes!

#CantLoveNPC22_35

#CantLoveNPC22_33

Hana people-watches as the government bureaucrats nervously, sip there coffee, and dash in and out of the cafe in a rush.

TV news is on in the background. Hana and Moon appear on the TV in the top story. No one in the cafe even notices.

#CantLoveNPC22_34

#CantLoveNPC22_32

[Hana] Let's go to a cafe.

They go into a cafe a little farther down the street--the cafe in filled with individuals dressed in suits staring down at their phones.

Moon gets coffee while Hana and Professor Kim go to a table.

#CantLoveNPC22_33

#CantLoveNPC22_31

[Woman] Well... all I can say is that you two did a damn good job taking down that shooter.

[Moon] Eum... It wasn't me, it was our friend.

[Woman] You still seem pretty shaken up. 

[Hana] We're OK. Thanks.

...

#CantLoveNPC22_32

#CantLoveNPC22_30

A woman on the street watching the TV turns to the group.

[Woman] Is that you on the TV? (Not many Americans have Moon's odd-colored shade of hair.)

[Moon] Eum. I guess.

[Woman] It's definitely you. Are you OK?

[Moon] Eum. I guess.

[Woman] ?!

#CantLoveNPC22_31

#CantLoveNPC22_29

---

Hana, her brother Moon, and Professor Kim start walking down the street in downtown Washington, D.C., and pass a store that has a morning news show playing through the window.

#CantLoveNPC22_30

#CantLoveNPC22_28

Moon, standing in the kitchen area and about to make coffee, throws up his arms.

[Moon] OK. We go now.

Professor Kim comes out all dressed and ready to go.

#CantLoveNPC22_29

#CantLoveNPC22_27

Yelling from his bedroom,

[Professor Kim] I'll go with.

[Moon] OK.

[Hana] But let's go NOW! I'm just pulling on a hat and some tights and sunglasses. I'll be ready in 2 minutes.

From his bedroom,

[Professor Kim] I'm ready.

#CantLoveNPC22_28

#CantLoveNPC22_26

Moon starts laughing uncontrollably,

[Moon] Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

[Hana] What?!

[Moon] That is the funniest bedhead I have ever seen.

[Hana] Oh!

I want to go for a walk. I'm sore from lying in these beds.

#CantLoveNPC22_27

#CantLoveNPC22_25

Hana wakes up again in a sweat and hears Moon getting ready in the living room area of their multi-bedroom hotel room.

Hana scratches herself and pulls down the T-shirt she slept in. She stumbles into the living room.

#CantLoveNPC22_26

#CantLoveNPC22_24

Moon and Professor Kim go back to bed, and Hana starts combing news sites and blogs all over the world for mention of their band.  

Hana eventually falls asleep again.

...

.

.

.

.

.

...

#CantLoveNPC22_25

#CantLoveNPC22_23

Hana scans the article.

[Hana] YEESSS!  And they mentioned our band's name and our upcoming concert at the top of the article!

[Moon] OK. OK. I understand. We sold more tickets. If you're OK, I'm going back to bed.

[Professor Kim] Me too.

#CantLoveNPC22_24

#CantLoveNPC22_22

[Hana] We practiced the American National Anthem so many times it just came out.

[Moon] So it just came out?!

[Hana] Yes. But that's not what's important now! Our ticket sales have doubled. This is not a small paper, and we are the story. 

#CantLoveNPC22_23

#CantLoveNPC22_21

[Moon] I never asked. Why did you start singing the national anthem after the shooting anyway, Hana?

[Hana] I didn't know what to do after Jimin disarmed the shooter, and people were freaking out all around us. Singing relaxes me, so I sang.

#CantLoveNPC22_22

#CantLoveNPC22_20

Hana shows her phone to Moon and Professor Kim, who don't recognize the American media organization and aren't especially impressed.

Matter-of-factly,

[Professor Kim] Oh, we finally have some local news coverage.

#CantLoveNPC22_21

#CantLoveNPC22_19

Hana, who has also been obsessively checking local and national newspapers in America for mention of their band, pulls up the website of largest Washington, D.C., paper and sees a photo Moon and herself on the lead article.

#CantLoveNPC22_20

#CantLoveNPC22_18

[Professor Kim] Oh! I thought it was something serious.

[Moon] But why?

[Hana] It has to be about what happened at the monument... the shooting incident.

#CantLoveNPC22_19

#CantLoveNPC22_17

[Hana] No! You don't get it. A lot more tickets are being sold!

[Moon] Really?!

Professor Kim steps into Hana's bedroom.

[Professor Kim] What happened?

[Hana] Our ticket sales are going up!

#CantLoveNPC22_18

#CantLoveNPC22_16

Hana's scream is so loud it wakes Moon and Professor Kim, who are sleeping in other bedrooms.

Moon pushes open Hana's bedroom door.

[Moon] What happened?!

[Hana] More tickets are being sold.

[Moon] Oh! I thought you were hurt. 

#CantLoveNPC22_17

#CantLoveNPC22_15

[Hana] Whoa!

[Hana] Hana checks the ticket sales, and they have jumped from just over 2,000 to past 4,000 in the last few hours.

Hana screams out,

[Hana] YEESSSSSSSSSSSSS!

#CantLoveNPC22_16

#CantLoveNPC22_14

When Hana comes back, her phone has just enough battery power to start.

Hana turns on her phone, and it starts beeping and chiming uncontrollably with notifications scrolling down the screen faster than she can read them.

#CantLoveNPC22_15

#CantLoveNPC22_13

Hana digs in her luggage and finds her spare charger.  When Hana plugs in her phone it doesn't react because it was so low on charge. 

Hana goes to the bathroom.

#CantLoveNPC22_14

#CantLoveNPC22_12

Hana wipes the sweat from her face and picks up her phone to check the time. Her phone is dead.

Taling to herself [Hana] Damn! Where's my charger?1

Hana digs through her purse and doesn't find her charger.

#CantLoveNPC22_13

#CantLoveNPC22_11

The image of the partially decapitated Indecency Police Chief is seared into the minds of Hana, Moon, and Professor Kim.)

--- END OF DREAM SEQUENCE ---

Hana screams out in her sleep and wakes herself.

[Hana] AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHOOOOoooohhhhhhh.

#CantLoveNPC22_12

#CantLoveNPC22_10

(On the actual video Jimin recorded during the real-life incident, Jimin's strike nearly severed the Chief's head from his body in the same way due to her additional strength as a robot and because her hand has a sharp metal inner skelton.

#CantLoveNPC22_11

#CantLoveNPC22_09

Hana's chop goes so deep that the Chief's head is partially severed from his body. Hana stares down at the Chief lying in a pool of his own blood. 

#CantLoveNPC22_10

#CantLoveNPC22_08

In Hana's dream, the Chief reaches down and forcefully spreads her legs apart.

Hana leaps off the stool and strikes the Chief on the neck with a chop, but her arm has morphed into a sword.

#CantLoveNPC22_09

#CantLoveNPC22_07

<Hana> (Begging) Move back! Move back! I don't want this!

<Police Chief> Do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?

<Hana> NOOOO!

#CantLoveNPC22_08

#CantLoveNPC22_06

---START OF DREAM SEQUENCE---

In Hana's dream, she is sitting up on the awkwardly tall stool when the Chief of the Indecency Police walks up to her with bad intentions.

<Hana> You're too close.

<Police Chief> What's wrong?

#CantLoveNPC22_07

#CantLoveNPC22_05

Hana is having nightmares again. In her dream, Hana is embodying Jimin and reliving the video recording from Jimin's perspective of when Jimin was attacked by the Chief of the Indecency Police.

#CantLoveNPC22_06

#CantLoveNPC22_04

BxGxR has one last publicity event in Dupont Circle and a full rehearsal at the Capital 2 Arena the day before the event. Advance ticket sales have fallen way short.

#CantLoveNPC22_05

#CantLoveNPC22_03

Hana, who usually obsessively checks for the latest ticket sales on her phone, has been offline for many hours. Hana was offline the entire time at the police station because there was no reception inside, and now her phone is dead.

#CantLoveNPC22_04

#CantLoveNPC22_02

Hana, Moon, and Professor Kim go straight to bed, and K-Pop robot dancers Ara, Jimin, Tae, and Dal go straight to their recharging staitons.

#CantLoveNPC22_03

#CantLoveNPC22_01

#CantLoveNPCScene22Start

Nightmares and Bad Hair Days

K-pop band BxGxR arrives at their hotel totally exhausted after their rest day became a shootout on the National Mall and a long wait at an uncomfortable police station.

#CantLoveNPC22_02

#CantLoveNPC21_27

[Robot Jimin] My battery is down to 5%. I need to recharge soon.

[Hana] We're almost home. 

[Moon] I'll carry you to the charger if your batteries run out.

#CantLoveNPCScene21End

#CantLoveNPC22_01

#CantLoveNPC21_26

[Moon] Tae and Dal are quieter than Jimin and Ara. Are they going to develop the same way as the girls?

[Professor Kim] Who knows. But I built them much later than Ara and Jimin; they've had less time to develop their artificial intelligence.

#CantLoveNPC21_27

#CantLoveNPC21_25

[Professor Kim] I trained Ara and Jimin on different materials, and the development of their different "pseudo" personalities is one of the most exciting surprises I've encountered in my robotic AI research. 

#CantLoveNPC21_26

#CantLoveNPC21_24

[Professor Kim] It's easy to be fooled into thinking large language models are real consciousness, but they're only acting out an amalgam of personalities from material they trained on.

#CantLoveNPC21_25

#CantLoveNPC21_23

[Professor Kim] Jimin and Ara's training material involved a lot of webtoons about relationships, and they are repeating female insecurities they read about in the training material. 

#CantLoveNPC21_24

#CantLoveNPC21_22

[Moon] It's a bit scary how Jimin and Ara seem to be developing emotions and sensitivities about not being loved. 

[Professor Kim] We did assign Ara and Jimin the goal of being loved by fans.

#CantLoveNPC21_23

#CantLoveNPC21_21

[Hana] If the Police asked you to explain why you brought a robot to America under the guise of a publicity-shy K-pop dancer?

[Professor Kim] I was going to say it was your fault, Hana, kkkkk!

[Hana] Gee, Thanks, kkkkkk.

#CantLoveNPC21_22

#CantLoveNPC21_20 

[Professor Kim] Now, I can't imagine letting out the secret in the near future. We'll have to keep this secret a while longer at least. 

[Hana] What were you going to do if the Police called you out and asked you to explain?   

#CantLoveNPC21_21

#CantLoveNPC21_19

[Hana] Even the American police couldn't tell Jimin or Ara or Tai or Dal were robots. I can't believe we fooled them. Your creations are decades ahead of the Japanese!

#CantLoveNPC21_20

#CantLoveNPC21_18

[Moon] Your dodgy plan to make a super-realistic, attractive, airport-screener robot to fool people into thinking it was an actual human was a total triumph. Even if you never used them for airport screening and taught them to dance.

#CantLoveNPC21_19

#CantLoveNPC21_17

[Hana] Honestly, Professor Kim, when you told me your plan to make an attractive female robot in the shape of your ideal woman for use as an airport screener, I thought you were sus to the core.

#CantLoveNPC21_18

#CantLoveNPC21_16

The four robots who have been working as dancers in BxGxR alongside the human band leaders Hana and Moon, and built by the professor of robotics, Professor Kim, smile at each other. 

#CantLoveNPC21_17

#CantLoveNPC21_15

[Robot Ara] Did all of us do a good job?

[Moon] Every last one of you: Tae, Dal, Ara, and Jimin. We are so proud of you. 

#CantLoveNPC21_16

#CantLoveNPC21_14

[Robot Jimin] Did I do good?

[Hana] You were perfect, Jimin.

[Robot Jimin] I wasn't like an NPC?

[Moon] You were nothing like an NPC. I think lots of people are going to love you after today.

[Robot Jimin] Really? I'm so happy!

#CantLoveNPC21_15

#CantLoveNPC21_13

[Hana] And you didn't tell the Police that Jimin is a robot!

[Professor Kim] They didn't ask, kkkkkk!

#CantLoveNPC21_14

#CantLoveNPC21_12

They all get in a large van taxi with a dividing wall between the back and the driver,

[Professor Kim] Hana, You didn't tell them about the protestors in K-Plaza or the controversy over Jimin flashing the crowd.

[Hana] They didn't ask, kkkkk.

#CantLoveNPC21_13

#CantLoveNPC21_11

A few hours after they arrived at the Station, the Officer finishes the interrogation. He calls BxGxR a large taxi and wishes them well. The Police Officer tells Hana to call him back immediately if they think of anything else to report.

#CantLoveNPC21_12

#CantLoveNPC21_10

The officer tells the band that he sees no obvious motivation for the shooter and doesn't imply that the shooter was actually targeting the band. He says the matter is under investigation and tells the band not to leave the country.

#CantLoveNPC21_11

#CantLoveNPC21_09

The Police Officer leads Hana and the band into a bare interrogation room.

The Police Officer takes testimony mostly from Jimin, through Hana's interpretation, about what happened during the shooting.

#CantLoveNPC21_10

#CantLoveNPC21_08

Thirty Minutes later, Hana sticks her head out of the waiting room.

[Hana] We're tired. Can we go now? We didn't do anything.

The Police officer looks at his watch. 

[Police Officer] OK. I'll let you interpret. I'm gonna trust you, OK?

#CantLoveNPC21_09

#CantLoveNPC21_07

In the waiting area, none of their cell phones get a signal. They are bored and afraid and anxious. They hesitate to talk to each other, knowing they are being watched. Hana reads a very old women's fashion magazine off the table.

#CantLoveNPC21_08

#CantLoveNPC21_06

In a few minutes, the Police Officer comes back, 

[Police Officer] We're waiting for a Korean interpreter.

[Hana] I can interpret.

[Police Officer] We prefer to use our own interpreter. Anything to drink or eat? Toilet?

[Hana] No. We're fine.

#CantLoveNPC21_07

#CantLoveNPC21_05

[Moon] So what are we going to tell them, Hana?

Hana gestures toward the video recorder in the corner of the room.

[Hana] We're going to tell them what happened at the Monument. This isn't the place for talking. Let's be quiet for now.

#CantLoveNPC21_06

#CantLoveNPC21_04

The Police Officer drives BxGxR to a nearby station. He asks for their passports. He tells them to sit in the waiting room. The Police Officer collects their IDs and slams the door behind him, leaving BxGxR in the empty waiting room.

#CantLoveNPC21_05

#CantLoveNPC21_03

As BxGxR walks off the platform of the Washington Monument with the Police Officer, the stunned crowd nearby breaks into spontaneous applause.

#CantLoveNPC21_04

#CantLoveNPC21_02

After the shooter was subdued, Hana and Moon started spontaneously singing the National Anthem using their portable PA system. Stunned onlookers captured video footage of the shooting attempt and BxGxR singing the National Anthem.

#CantLoveNPC21_03

#CantLoveNPC21_01

#CantLoveNPCScene21Start

An Attractive Airport Screener

After the failed shooting attempt on the National Mall and Jimin disarming the shooter, a Police Officer asked BxGxR to go to the nearest Police Station to gather an eyewitness account. 

#CantLoveNPC21_02

#CantLoveNPC20_36

[Police Officer] Can all of you come with me? I want to take you to the station right away to take down a statement.

[Hana] If you want, Officer.

[Police Officer] Thanks, my cruiser is close. Follow me.

#CantLoveNPCScene20End

#CantLoveNPC21_01

#CantLoveNPC20_35

Looking at Jimin,

[Police Officer] You're the girl who ran toward the shooter and kicked him?

[Jimin] (in Korean) That is correct.

[Police Officer] ??!!

#CantLoveNPC20_36

#CantLoveNPC20_34

In the chaos, Jimin casually walks back up the hill to the rest of the group.

A police officer approaches the group.

[Police Officer] Is everyone OK?

[Hana] Sure. We're fine.

[Police Officer] All of you are together?

[Hana] Yes.

#CantLoveNPC20_35

#CantLoveNPC20_33

[Hana and Moon] O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? 

...

A few stunned tourists start spontaneously clapping for Hana and Moon's rendition of the National Anthem of the USA.

#CantLoveNPC20_34

#CantLoveNPC20_32

🎶[Hana and Moon] Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there, 

A few people in the crowd start to sing along with Hana and Moon.

#CantLoveNPC20_33

#CantLoveNPC20_31

🎶[Hana and Moon] Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight O'er the ramparts we watch'd were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bomb bursting in air, 

#CantLoveNPC20_32

#CantLoveNPC20_30

🎶[Hana and Moon] O say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming, 

People nearby start standing up and put their hands on their hearts.

#CantLoveNPC20_31

#CantLoveNPC20_29

Tourists nearby, who filmed the whole shooting event, shift their cameras toward Hana.

[Hana] MOON! GET UP AND DO THIS WITH ME!!!

[Moon] Eum... now?! OK.

Hana and Moon start singing together through their amplified PA system.

#CantLoveNPC20_30

#CantLoveNPC20_28

[Hana] Give me your backpack, Moon.

[Moon] Eum... here.

Hana takes out the portable PA system and turns it on with the microphone.

🎶[Hana] Oooo Say Can... cough cough.

#CantLoveNPC20_29

#CantLoveNPC20_27

[Park Ranger] STAY DOWN!!! THERE MAY BE ANOTHER SHOOTER! WE DON'T KNOW.

[Ara] There is no other shooter.

[Moon] Oh my God! 

[Professor Kim] What do we do?

#CantLoveNPC20_28

#CantLoveNPC20_26

---

Up by the monument, Ara tells the group,

[Ara] Jimin and the police have neutralized the shooter.

[Park Ranger] EVERYONE DOWN! SHOOTER! SHOOTER!

[Tourist] AHHHHHHHHH!

[Tourist] Was that fireworks?! Where?

#CantLoveNPC20_27

#CantLoveNPC20_25

A few seconds later, the Police Officer reaches the shooter, flips him on his stomach, and cuffs his arms behind his back as the other officer grabs the marksman's rifle he left behind.

A few people in the crowd start to cheer.

#CantLoveNPC20_26

#CantLoveNPC20_24

Jimin kicks the surprised shooter as hard as she can between the legs and sends him flying backward onto the grass.

#CantLoveNPC20_25

#CantLoveNPC20_23

Jimin closes to within a few feet. The shooter leaves his weapon, stands up, and stumbles backward, realizing too late that Jimin has already closed the distance between them. 

#CantLoveNPC20_24

#CantLoveNPC20_22

The shooter takes another shot and misses Jimin. His shot ricochets high up on the Washington Monument.

Police start sprinting toward the shooter from across the field.

Jimin continues sprinting toward the shooter.

#CantLoveNPC20_23

#CantLoveNPC20_21

The shooter tries to focus on Jimin dashing toward him but has a hard time fixing on her because she is running in unpredictable zig-zags, which she learned from her military training.

#CantLoveNPC20_22

#CantLoveNPC20_20

From the field, someone screams,

ACTIVE SHOOTER!!!!

A young woman at the Washington Monument makes a blood-curdling scream,

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Others freeze in place, stunned by the scene.

#CantLoveNPC20_21

#CantLoveNPC20_19

A bullet whizzes between Jimin and Hana's heads, ricocheting off the Washington Monument. 

Jimin immediately starts sprinting at superhuman speed toward the shooter, who is lying in the grass with his gun barrel on a tripod. 

#CantLoveNPC20_20

#CantLoveNPC20_18

---

In the field beneath the Washington Monument, a middle-aged man casually sets up a low green tripod.

---

On the monument platform, Jimin suddenly twists to the side and yells, 위험해! (WIHEOMHAE!)

#CantLoveNPC20_19

#CantLoveNPC20_17

After a few minutes, Hana gets up, and the group stands together to take in the view toward the Lincoln Memorial.

#CantLoveNPC20_18

#CantLoveNPC20_16

Hana copies a tourist squinching their butt against the monument and extending their legs up the marble side. From this perspective, looking straight up, the fast-moving clouds appear to make the monument move in the sky. 

#CantLoveNPC20_17

#CantLoveNPC20_15

From the Washington Monument, the four directions have views of the Capital Building, White House, Lincoln Memorial, and Potomac River on each of the four sides. The strong breeze stretches the American flags ringing the monument.

#CantLoveNPC20_16

#CantLoveNPC20_14

It's now late afternoon. Hana playfully runs around the monument, dragging her hand along the cold marble. The rest of the band walks in circles, taking in the views.

#CantLoveNPC20_15

#CantLoveNPC20_13

BxGxR starts the slow, gentle climb up toward the Washington Monument. While the elevation change is only several dozen feet, the platform around the Washington Monument is high enough to give sweeping 360-degree views of the National Mall. 

#CantLoveNPC20_14

#CantLoveNPC20_12

A group of mostly women are picking up their mats from the field after an outdoor yoga session. Other people are lying out on blankets and enjoying the afternoon sun. Some people are throwing frisbees, and others are flying kites.

#CantLoveNPC20_13

#CantLoveNPC20_11

They pass electric scooters beeping because their GPS registered they are illegally on a sidewalk. 

After passing another war memorial and crossing a small road, they enter the large field that leads up to the Washington Monument.  

#CantLoveNPC20_12

#CantLoveNPC20_10

On the way, they hear buskers rolling coolers and yelling, "fresh wadaa one dolla," punctuating the innocent conversations of the tourists who came to enjoy the fine, cool, low-humidity afternoon on the National Mall.

#CantLoveNPC20_11

#CantLoveNPC20_09

Dancers Jimin, Ara, Tae, and Dal have lots of questions about American culture and Hana tries to fill them in with the little that she knows. 

They stroll down the side of the reflecting pool in the direction of the Washington Monument.

#CantLoveNPC20_10

#CantLoveNPC20_08

At the Lincoln Memorial, they read his speech off the wall and swing their legs from the outdoor ledge, taking in the view of the reflecting pool in line with the Washington Monument and the Capital Building several miles in the distance.

#CantLoveNPC20_09

#CantLoveNPC20_07

Many more American Soldiers died in the middle of the war, represented by the tallest marble panels because there were more names to etch into the marble. At the tips, smaller panels reflect fewer deaths at the war's beginning and end.

#CantLoveNPC20_08

#CantLoveNPC20_06

The monument is V-shaped and descends on a slight incline to the middle and then ascends to the far side. Each panel has carved into marble the names of American Soldiers who died during a single year during the war. 

#CantLoveNPC20_07

#CantLoveNPC20_05

Hana and BxGxR start their impromptu tour by walking down the angle on the Vietnam Memorial and listening to the scratching of tourists making rubbings of the names of the soldiers who died during the war. 

#CantLoveNPC20_06

#CantLoveNPC20_04

Moon has been hauling the PA system almost the entire trip so far, so another few miles won't be the end of the world. 

Hana has forced herself into a playful mood to break her worries about low ticket sales for at least a few hours. 

#CantLoveNPC20_05

#CantLoveNPC20_03

Moon mistakenly brought his portable backpack PA system out of habit. They don't need the speaker system for strolling the National Mall, but Moon decides not to double back after the taxi is already on the way. 

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The National Mall is not a shopping mall but a strip of parkland between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capital Building, which is host to numerous monuments and the famous and still free Smithsonian Museum. 

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DUCK!

It's an idyllic late afternoon in Washington, D.C. Fast-moving clouds drop shadows across the vast lawns of the National Mall and paint patterns on the Washington Monument.

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