When I visited South Korea in the summer of 2025, it was over 90°F every day, and the humidity often climbed close to 90%. Wherever I went—whether I was meeting my friends, going to the grocery store, or stopping by the convenience store—I always had to pass the same crosswalk, where the red light stayed on for 99 seconds.

Every time I went out, I ended up standing there, stuck in those “99 seconds,” staring at the red man in the little black box. In that heavy, humid air, the wait felt even longer. Sweat would slide down my shirt as I stood completely still, watching the numbers crawl down one by one.

waiting, 99, 98, 97, … captures that feeling of frustration in the heat—the way time slows when you are just waiting for the light to change. It is about that small but strangely memorable moment of watching the numbers fall, hoping for green light to finally turn on.