Chapter 331: Summer Vacation (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 331: Summer Vacation (1)
After taking some time to get ready for the water, we gathered in front of the pool. The sight of everyone’s unique outfits was something to behold.
“But as expected, our Cheong-hyeon stands out the most.”
“Is it thanks to my dazzling looks?”
“Look at your clothes.”
I pointed at his reflection in the pension’s glass window. Wearing a straw hat and a matching green Hawaiian shirt and shorts set, he looked like someone who hadn't just come to enjoy the summer, but to absolutely demolish it.
“And who told you to wear flip-flops in a place with so much water?”
“Smart Cheong-hyeon already anticipated that, so—!”
Mid-sentence, Lee Cheong-hyeon abruptly lifted his foot. Two palm-sized pieces of anti-slip tape were stuck to the bottom of his flip-flops.
“I’ve already taken precautionary measures!”
“How impressive. Why aren't you wearing sunglasses? I told you that prolonged exposure to UV rays can damage your iris. Aren't you worried about your Alexandrite Cat’s Eyes?”
“I thought you’d be sad if I covered half my face, Hyung. I’m wearing a hat, so give me a pass.”
Lee Cheong-hyeon vanished into the distance, claiming he needed to inflate his flamingo tube. Kang Gi-yeon, who appeared a step late with tubes tucked under both arms, followed behind him.
As soon as the youngest members disappeared, another one opened the pension door and stepped out. It was Park Ju-woo. Perhaps wanting to avoid the sun, he was wearing a thin cardigan over a white T-shirt.
Crouching in front of the pool, he lightly dipped his fingertip into the water.
“How’s the temperature?”
“...It’s lukewarm.”
Ju-woo stirred the water a few times and shook his hand dry. Deciding the temperature was safe, he sat on the edge of the pool, dipped his feet in, and started splashing.
While Jeong Seong-bin was busy bringing over towels and snacks, someone else was trudging toward us from afar.
Honestly, I hadn't expected Choi Je-ho to be fully dressed.
This was the guy who would strip down and dive into a valley stream on a deserted island even in front of cameras. I could only imagine how recklessly he’d dress in an unofficial setting like this.
But even so.
“What’s with those pants?”
“What?”
Don’t you think wearing hideous neon orange shorts on a glorious vacation day is a bit much? If you’re going to wear something like that, you should at least wear a black shirt on top.
No, that would be trashy in its own way, too. I could tolerate neon orange as an accent on thick, rugged, matte-textured cyberpunk techwear, but it’s a problem when neon orange is the main event.
“Ju-woo, what were you doing when Choi Je-ho was packing his clothes?”
“...I didn't just stand by. I really did ask him if he was only going to bring those pants.”
“And?”
“He asked if he needed anything else...”
I was left speechless by the answer Ju-woo relayed.
At one point, Choi Je-ho had drawn the ire of fans by constantly wearing a neon orange vest he’d bought from who-knows-where. I was relieved that the damn vest hadn't appeared in this life, but...
Where on earth did that color chip pop up from? Was the problem that I hadn't inspected his closet after we moved?
“There must be an evil spirit attached to that color.”
“Why are you making a fuss all of a sudden?”
“Either you’re possessed, or this is your color of destiny. There’s no other explanation.”
“It’s not like I like this color that much.”
If I could erase just one color from the face of the earth, I would point to #FF6600 without a moment’s hesitation. Even if it meant I had to spend the rest of my life eating only red carrots or yellow hallabongs.
“You’re the one who looks possessed.”
“Me? Why?”
“You’re covered in pitch black.”
Choi Je-ho protested, but I didn't listen. A black rash guard is the most basic of basic items. I might not be the most fashionable person, but I refuse to take criticism from an orange-obsessed maniac like Choi Je-ho.
“The tubes are here!”
While I was wrestling with Choi Je-ho over whose clothes were uglier, Lee Cheong-hyeon’s booming voice pierced my ears. A flamingo tube as large as Cheong-hyeon himself was boasting an overwhelming presence.
Just how much water play was he planning to do to bring something like that? I could already see a future where we’d all look like drowned rats.
The water play was reasonably fun. The members of Spark enjoyed the private pool in their own various ways.
There were the moderate conservatives like me and Park Ju-woo, who just circled the edge of the pool and went through the motions; the centrists like Jeong Seong-bin and Choi Je-ho, who floated around or swam at a moderate pace; and...
“Who dual-wields water guns in a pool?!”
“Don’t you know that glory goes to those who walk the path untraveled?!”
...the radical activists who screamed while shooting water and throwing tubes in the middle of the pool. It was enough to make me wonder if that was the only reason they’d inflated the tubes.
“Seong-bin Hyung! Take Lee Cheong-hyeon’s water guns away! He keeps picking fights!”
“Cheong-hyeon, don’t fire rapidly at Gi-yeon. He doesn't like it.”
“No, I mean make him stop shooting entirely! I don’t want to get hit even once!”
Kang Gi-yeon shouted with a heart full of resentment. However, he couldn't convince the FPS game enthusiast, Jeong Seong-bin. Our leader turned Gi-yeon’s stomach in knots by saying, “Gi-yeon, even the world’s number one ranker would find it hard to pull off a zero-hit performance.”
Even so, to ensure his younger brother wouldn't just be a victim, he handed him an ‘Ultra Jumbo Water Gun’ with an automatic rapid-fire function that required no pumping.
By the end, the two of them were dousing each other with buckets of water, putting on a show that even elementary schoolers wouldn't do. In the corner, Park Ju-woo pulled over the abandoned flamingo tube and enjoyed a nice sunbath.
In the end, the two little lambs were punished by Choi Je-ho for being too noisy; they were shoved into a chocolate donut tube and a strawberry donut tube, respectively. Lee Cheong-hyeon laughed until he cried, watching Kang Gi-yeon tremble with humiliation.
“Ha, I’m hungry.”
“It’d be weirder if you weren't hungry after playing like that,” Choi Je-ho said, looking at Lee Cheong-hyeon, who was clutching his empty stomach. It was about time to start preparing dinner.
We all headed back into the lodging with towels draped over us. I had showered early and was checking the fridge when Jeong Seong-bin approached, drying his hair with a towel.
“Seong-bin, how much meat should we grill? The kids said they wanted ramen, too.”
Seong-bin told me that I had a different job to do. He closed the fridge door and gently nudged my back, guiding me toward the living room.
“When Cheong-hyeon and Gi-yeon finish showering, please tell them to get some sleep. It’d be even better if you could make them sleep in separate rooms so they don’t stay up talking. I think it’ll be easier on their stomachs to eat after they’ve had a nap rather than eating and then sleeping immediately.”
The two of them certainly needed a comfortable, deep sleep, not just the naps they took cramped in the car. They needed a soft bed where they could stretch their legs out.
Jeong Seong-bin, who was a high school student until last year, seemed to be mindful of the hardship of balancing school attendance with their activities. He might have a much freer schedule now that he’s in university, but the younger ones didn't.
“Alright. Is there anything that needs defrosting while they sleep?”
“I’m about to check that now. Once the kids go in to sleep, you should go to a spare room and sleep too, Hyung.”
“Huh?”
I turned around and met Jeong Seong-bin’s innocent gaze.
“You want me to sleep?”
“Yes.”
“Then who’s making dinner?”
“Ju-woo and I can do it. Je-ho Hyung said he’d help, too.”
“When did you plot such machinations?”
Seong-bin responded with a smile. I’m sorry, but I wish he’d realize that flashing an angelic smile isn't a valid answer to everything.
“Preparing dinner isn't that hard; I can’t just leave it to you guys. I can get it done in no time.”
“Exactly. It’s not that hard, so you should go catch some Z’s, Hyung.”
“Hah.”
I let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded. Nevertheless, Jeong Seong-bin remained firm.
Following Seong-bin’s instructions, I pestered the youngest members as they emerged from the first and second-floor bathrooms almost simultaneously, telling them to dry their hair immediately. Once I confirmed their hair was dry from scalp to tip, I tucked each of them into a room on the first floor.
“I’m going to grill the meat! I even practiced how to season it through MeTube!”
“It’s no use talking to me. Orders came down from the top.”
“Weren't you the flame revolutionary of the idol world? When did you become such an ordinary citizen who can't resist authority?”
“I can’t help it. I’ve resolved to never let another drop of ballpoint pen ink touch our leader’s hands again.”
I said it as a joke, but I meant it. Even if Jeong Seong-bin had used my 'stigma all-clear event' as an item for two episodes of self-produced content, the fact that his concern for his members had grown enough to touch something deep inside me wasn't something to just laugh off.
“I denounce the eldest hyung’s unequal behavior in favoring only Seong-bin Hyung,” Lee Cheong-hyeon grumbled. But what can you do? If you’d seen how Jeong Seong-bin smiled that night, Cheong-hyeon, you’d want to withdraw your denunciation, too.
Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had claimed he wanted to decorate his plate with wraps, fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. His speed was so incredible I wondered how he’d managed to play until now.
The situation wasn't much different for Kang Gi-yeon. While Lee Cheong-hyeon was working on songs, this guy had been learning electric guitar from scratch. It was a schedule that couldn't help but be exhausting.
Seeing Lee Cheong-hyeon easily defeated (verbally), Kang Gi-yeon obediently lay down and pulled up the covers. His fingers, which were starting to develop calluses, twitched a few times before his breathing soon became steady.
When I stepped out and closed the door, the voices coming from the kitchen stopped. Park Ju-woo poked his head out from around the corner.
“Are they asleep...?”
“Yeah, they went out like lights.”
“Once you drain their energy, they fall asleep in an instant.”
Choi Je-ho chimed in. It seemed Choi Mi-ho must have been quite a handful in her childhood.
“Are you sure you don’t need help with anything?”
“Je-ho Hyung is tearing up all the lettuce, but... you don’t need to help.”
“I guess Cheong-hyeon’s dream of eating wraps is ruined.”
Ju-woo made a comment that made it sound like I really should help. Choi Je-ho didn't seem to have any intention of correcting him.
After receiving a final "Goodnight" from Jeong Seong-bin, I headed up to the second floor. Perhaps because there was no one else on the entire floor, the surroundings suddenly became quiet.
I lay down on the bed in the only spare room on the second floor. I wondered if I’d be able to sleep with the sunlight streaming so brightly through the window.
But maybe it was because I’d recently had the experience of sleeping deeply after being treated to a day of luxury. Or maybe, as Choi Je-ho said, it was because I’d used up all my energy playing in the water.
‘...I’m sleepy.’
Surrounded by the moderately cool air, the scent of fabric softener from the freshly laundered bedding, and the warm sunlight, my eyelids grew heavy.
I thought I shouldn't be sleeping so peacefully while others were working.
I used to think I had to force myself to do something even when people told me not to, and I was always told that was the right thing to do.
“I can’t trust you, Hyung. I’m scared you might just die somewhere.”
While I lived the way I thought was right, I ended up making someone worry.
“Hyung, you haven't taken your headache medicine once today.”
And yet, a small change in me could make someone else happy.
Those guys, who didn't want me to suffer.
‘At least for today...’
My head didn't hurt. So there was no need to take medicine. Although the manager had left emergency medicine with Jeong Seong-bin, it didn't seem like I’d need it today.
‘...It’s peaceful.’
I felt drowsy. It felt as if the world was being covered in a warm yellow.
Without even knowing what my last thought was, I drifted off to sleep.