Chapter 262: I Don't Know
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 262: I Don't Know
‘What the hell am I supposed to do now?’
I’d made a grand exit with Choi Jin-ah in tow, but I had no idea what to actually do with her.
To be perfectly honest...
I wasn't someone who actively sought out "rebellion." Most of the time, things just ended up looking like rebellion because of how they played out.
Even though I hated my father, I’d never intentionally moved to spite him.
‘Ah, damn it. I brought her here acting like I had some big plan just to set the mood, but...’
I kept walking deeper into the ship, weaving through the crowds.
“You don't have a plan, do you?”
“After talking so big?!”
“Hey, it happens.”
“That’s hilarious in its own way!”
The voices of the two girls drifted from behind me.
I stopped in my tracks and glared at them, looking for any excuse to snap.
“Why are you following us?”
“We’re bored.”
“We’re curious to see what you’ll do!”
“I want to see how you’re going to cause a scene.”
“Honestly, we hate it here too!”
Give them an inch and they take a mile of rapid-fire chatter.
I’d thought this earlier, but these two really talked too much. Just listening to them go back and forth made me feel like I was being pushed back by a wall of words.
“Um, excuse me.”
Choi Jin-ah finally found a gap to speak.
“It might be weird for me to say this, but... is this really okay?”
“You said you wanted to rebel.”
“I did, but I didn't want to cause trouble for other people.”
“...”
“I thought it would be better if it was something I did on my own, like the smoking...”
Her voice trailed off.
Maybe she looked like a pitiful little animal to them, because the two girls behind us suddenly took her side.
“She’s right! You shouldn't cause trouble for others!”
“Especially since people are so sensitive about that kind of thing these days.”
“Acting out for your own selfish greed is just childish!”
“Isn't causing trouble for others basically a crime anyway?!”
I really wished someone would just take these two away.
“Weren't you two literally clinging to me earlier, helping me help another guy hit on my girlfriend? Wasn't that 'causing trouble'? Wasn't that crossing the line?”
“...”
“...”
After successfully shutting them up, I turned back to Choi Jin-ah and made a declaration.
“That’s exactly the problem.”
“Huh?”
“The fact that you’re trying to shoulder everything alone, just silently enduring it. That is the problem.”
“Oof, harsh.”
“Wow, he sounds like a professor.”
Are these girls ever going to leave?
I let out a deep sigh and slapped my forehead in frustration.
The two behind me were annoying, sure. But Choi Jin-ah’s passive attitude was starting to make something boil up inside me.
“Do you think it’s over if you just enjoy being 'naughty' by yourself? Like, 'Ah, what a productive day. I had a good little rebellion, so starting tomorrow, I’ll go back to being a good girl who listens to Daddy.' Is that it?”
Choi Jin-ah’s eyes went wide. She seemed taken aback by my irritability.
But this is who I am.
How many times had I fought like this back at university?
Seniors, classmates, juniors.
I fought them all without distinction.
And because I defeated them all, I’m able to enjoy a peaceful college life now.
“You have to let him know. That you aren't the person he wants you to be. This needs to be the catalyst that clearly shows your father where you stand.”
“Wh-what?! I can't do that! I—I never even thought about actually rebelling against my father?!”
“Wait, what? You called me without even having that much resolve?”
When I asked in disbelief, Choi Jin-ah’s gaze flickered nervously.
It seemed she really had intended to just feel a moment of liberation for her own satisfaction and leave it at that.
“How is that any different from mental masturbation?”
“Wh-what?!”
A bit of a crude term slipped out, but it got a great reaction from the peanut gallery.
“Pwahaha! Masturbation! He said masturbation!”
“Ah, this guy is freaking hilarious!”
I’m pretty sure I’m younger than you.
“This is your chance. You want to get away from your father, don't you?”
“Ah...”
Choi Jin-ah stared at me blankly before slowly dropping her head.
“I... I don't know. Can I really live my life away from my father?”
“Ha, you’re something else. Aren't you a world-renowned violinist? You can easily live on your own with that.”
Even I, a college student working part-time at an adult store, am surviving on my own somehow.
“Follow me.”
I’d decided on a destination.
I marched forward, and the three of them hurried after me.
The place we arrived at was the ship’s observation deck. It was a spot that gave a clear view of the deck below, where the party was in full swing.
I could see people moving busily down there; it looked like they were preparing the finale fireworks.
We stood at the railing, looking down at the deck.
“Look at that. What do you think when you see those people?”
“Uh, they look busy?”
“Looks like the game started.”
“Ah! We should’ve gone to do that instead!”
Seriously, will they ever leave?
They’d mentioned a game using the bracelets handed out when we boarded, and it seemed it had begun.
— Hint number one for the grand prize! It is located in a place that is very rare globally!
Bong-geun was standing on stage with a microphone. Everyone was moving with intense passion, so the prize must have been quite luxurious. It looked like some kind of treasure hunt.
“Look at them. Look at all those people lined up. Do any of them look like they’re pulling their own weight as individuals?”
“Pardon? What do you mean...?”
“Every single one of them is acting tough because their mommy and daddy are backing them up. They’ve never had to try for anything, so they just live like that.”
“...”
“That’s why I’m saying you’re amazing. Unlike those people, you can do just fine even without your parents' status! You’re that kind of person!”
Choi Jin-ah nodded blankly at my words.
“Ah, yes.”
The other two immediately chimed in from behind.
“What is he even saying?”
“What a load of crap.”
Those bitches.
Seriously, go away.
“Hey! Aren't you two going anywhere?! Don't you get why I’m saying this? I’m telling her she’s capable of being independent!”
“We’d cheer for you if you were making sense! Even Ha In-ho, the guy you fought with earlier, takes business classes every day. Do you have any idea how hard he studies?”
“I heard he’s even preparing to start his own separate business.”
“Oh? Really?”
Wait, why are these guys actually diligent?
As I struggled to hide my embarrassment, Choi Jin-ah tentatively raised her hand to speak.
“Um... I’ve been financially independent for a long time.”
So it wasn't that she couldn't leave because she was afraid of the financial aspect?
‘Damn it, I was overthinking things on my own.’
I naturally assumed it was a money issue, but I guess it wasn't.
You know how it is. Those dramas where rich people accidentally go bankrupt and have to experience the life of commoners. I thought her worries were along those lines...
“How embarrassing.”
“If I were him, I’d dive into the river right now.”
I’ll admit it. My face turned red with shame.
I gripped the railing so hard my hands were shaking, and I couldn't calm down. I’d felt like some grand protagonist for a second there.
I was dead wrong.
‘Sigh.’
In that case...
“Shall we just go get a drink?”
I suggested it weakly, wanting to get wasted enough to lose my memory. Instead of Choi Jin-ah, the two behind us responded with cheers.
*
The deck was in an uproar with the treasure hunt.
People were searching everywhere, presumably for something incredible. Seeing as they left the food areas and tables alone, those seemed to be safe zones.
In short, they were set up so people not participating could still enjoy themselves.
“They say the prize is a super expensive foreign car?! Should we join in?!”
“Aw, damn. It says it’s only for the alumni. The colors are set by the glow bracelets.”
At the girls' words, I glanced at my own bracelet.
‘So the partners are yellow.’
The two girls and Seo Ye-rin were all wearing yellow.
Mine was green, and Choi Jin-ah’s was red.
‘Senior Ju-hee, who was here as a bodyguard, was wearing blue, right?’
My thoughts drifted idly toward the glow bracelets.
We sat down at a table with food and poured some drinks. Fortunately, they had soju available. I was glad it wasn't just hard liquor and champagne.
“Kaaah! This is the stuff!”
“Ah! So good! You’ve gotta wash out a greasy stomach with this.”
“The alcohol is literally disinfecting my body!”
“I feel so clean!”
I ignored the two who were noisily chugging straight from the soju bottles and poured myself a glass.
‘Ugh! Kim Woo-jin, you idiot!’
I just wanted to disinfect all the words and delusions I’d had until a moment ago.
“...”
Beside me, Choi Jin-ah was staring blankly down at a soju bottle.
Was this her first time seeing soju?
If they controlled her so much she couldn't even smoke, I doubted they let her drink soju. She’d probably only ever had high-end, smooth whiskies.
“Is this your first time having soju?”
I asked, my voice laced with a sharp hint of intoxication. Choi Jin-ah nodded awkwardly.
“Yes. My father told me that drinking this is no different from drinking industrial ethanol.”
He certainly was passionate about her education. There wasn't a single part of her life he hadn't touched.
“That’s just ignorant. It’s been ages since the 'soju is made of industrial ethanol' thing was debunked as fake news.”
“I know. He was probably just exaggerating.”
“Ha.”
I went to the bartender and grabbed a clear glass.
“If you aren't going to drink, at least have some water. It’s annoying having you just stand there like a statue.”
“...”
Choi Jin-ah took the cup with a pout.
But the moment she took a sip, her eyes flew wide and she pulled the cup away.
“Th-this—!”
“It’s soju.”
I gave her a thumbs-up with a grin, and her face filled with horror.
The fear of having committed an act her father forbade. It seemed to start from the soju on her tongue and tighten its grip on her body.
“Look at this.”
Using her ridiculous expression as a side dish, I took another sip and let out a boisterous laugh.
“See? It’s no big deal. You just drink it and that’s it!”
“It’s not that...!”
“Rebellion? You think I wanted to be a rebel from the start?!”
Honestly, I felt a bit wronged.
“I mean, people treat me like some legendary delinquent and ask for my help! Do you have any idea how shitty that feels?”
“...Are you drunk?”
What a load of crap. Who gets drunk off this?
“It just turned out to be rebellion because I did it! Okay?! When suckers are willing to buy a five-hundred-won card for twenty thousand won, how the hell am I supposed to resist?!”
“...”
“It’s only like that because of the way adults look at it! I—I was giving those little kids a huge amount of happiness for a mere twenty thousand won!”
“Th-that’s legally...”
“School lunch was shit! Ah, I’m screwed! It’s seasoned eggplant today! I want something tasty, let’s go grab some ramen! I only climbed over the wall because of that!”
“The school rules say during lunch break—”
“It was shit, so I did what I wanted! It just happened to break the rules as a result! If I’d known, I wouldn't have done it!”
Wait. I might actually be drunk.
When I asked myself that, it was hard to deny. The reason I got so drunk so fast on soju was probably because Choi Jin-ah was so frustrating.
She asks for help, but then she has no intention of doing anything herself. What does she want from me?
“Just do it! Then close your eyes and say, ‘Shit, I didn't know? Ah, my bad!’”
“That’s a crime!”
“Hahaha! This guy is wasted!”
“Who told her to commit a crime? It’s a metaphor! A metaphor! I’m telling her to go say that to her dad! If he’s a parent, he should be able to handle that much!”
God, those two chirping in my ear is getting really annoying.
“Come here and clink glasses with me, you brats!”
“The charisma is insane!”
“Oppa! Oppa! Do you have a car?!”
Shut the hell up.
“You too! If you aren't drinking, at least hold that water and clink!”
I poured the soju I was holding into Choi Jin-ah’s water cup.
“Just say you didn't know! If they’re your parents, they’ll forgive that much!”
This girl definitely lived her whole life without a rebellious phase. She probably never gave her parents a headache.
Choi Jin-ah still looked like she had no idea what was going on.
Honestly, I’d already given up. Help her? Help her with what? I was just drinking to forget my embarrassing memories.
Even if I wanted to give her good advice to help her overcome this, it’s not like I’ve ever read a self-help book.
“Cheers!”
When the two girls and I clinked glasses, Choi Jin-ah reluctantly joined in.
She looked bewildered as she watched us pour the alcohol down our throats, but swept up in the momentum, she took another sip.
“It... it doesn't really taste like anything.”
She muttered awkwardly, looking down at her cup.
She must have expected it to be incredibly strong or stinging. But the fact that she was so unfazed...
“Soju suits your body!”
“Heavy drinkers are usually like that!”
When the other two explained it to her in unison, Choi Jin-ah looked down at her cup with surprised eyes.