Short Literary Essay: Reflections on Subways, Used Cars, and Myself

One afternoon, I arrived at the station nearest to her house. As I finished climbing the stairs toward the ticket gate, what caught my eye was a large advertisement posted on the wall of the descending stairs leading to the opposite platform.

"If you're buying a used car, go with Goo."
There was a famous comedy duo smiling while holding smartphones, along with a female celebrity I had seen somewhere before. It is a strange feeling to see an advertisement for used cars in a subway station.
Most people here should be living lives without cars, after all.

In such a setting, what meaning does owning a car actually hold? How much significance is there in placing car advertisements for people who use public transportation? Or perhaps, is this advertisement meant to subconsciously stir up an inferiority complex about not owning a car?

At that moment, I remembered that my friends own cars. They move freely by car, while I always rely on public transportation.
Suddenly, I find myself comparing myself to them.
I don't think owning a car like they do is absolutely necessary, but while I feel that the time spent waiting for public transportation is a waste, there is certainly a part of me drawn to the freedom that a car provides.

The true intent of that advertisement probably lies there. By making people conscious of "not owning a car," it subconsciously plants a desire to own one. Especially with used cars, it appears as an accessible dream.

Even so, a sense of emptiness remains somewhere.
The advertisement just exists there.
It captures our eyes for a moment, then disappears, leaving nothing behind. It blends into the scenery of daily life, and
in the next moment, it is already beyond our memory.

Thinking about such things, I passed through the ticket gate and went up to the surface. The afternoon sunlight was softly enveloping the cityscape.
Relaxing my shoulders and reflecting on how I had been momentarily captivated by a meaningless advertisement, I began to walk quietly. I felt once again that it is important to have the composure to reconsider one's own choices and values, and to face daily life.