Chapter 263: Passenger Ship Running
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 263: Passenger Ship Running
The exotic drinking session with these exotic people continued.
"Alright! Here’s another hint for the first-place prize! It looks just like us, but in truth, it’s different!"
Aside from Bong-geun occasionally getting excited and shouting treasure hunt hints into the microphone, nothing was particularly bothersome.
The three women were chatting away quite happily.
Right now, one of them was holding out her phone, showing off a photo and rambling about something.
"Look at this, look! I bought this a long time ago. It turned out to be a knockoff!"
"Do you know how much she cried back then? Honestly, it was freaking hilarious!"
"Oh, this... I have one at home. Would you like it? I got it as a gift, but I don't use it."
"No, no! I don't even want to look at it!"
"Hahaha! Do you know how much this bag costs?! How can you just give it away to someone else?!"
At first, I wondered what they were trying to achieve.
Now, it just looked like they were genuinely enjoying themselves.
The feeling of making new connections?
To be blunt, they didn't exactly seem like 'good' people, and rough language frequently leaked into their conversation, but they were being friendly toward Choi Jin-ah for the time being.
More importantly, I was currently scanning the area, looking for two people.
Seo Ye-rin and Senior Ju-hee.
Where on earth did they go?
I thought they’d be here.
This was the place where I’d left them, after all.
But they were nowhere to be seen.
I wondered if they’d gone to join the treasure hunt, but that was an event for the alumni, so those two couldn't participate.
"Ah, he’s not listening to us!"
"He must be sulking! He’s sulking because we’re the only ones talking!"
"Woo-jin, come over here and look. There are so many interesting photos."
"Yeah, yeah, just a second."
I gave a half-hearted response to the three of them while continuing to scan the surroundings.
Even though Senior Ju-hee was with her, I was starting to get worried since they were nowhere in sight. Just then, I noticed a crowd gathering near where the bodyguards were stationed.
At first, I thought an accident had happened, but the atmosphere felt more like people enjoying a festival.
I immediately started walking in that direction.
"Wait here for a moment."
"I don't wanna!"
"Let's go together!"
"I-I'll go too."
"..."
They really never listen, do they?
I could understand the first two, but I wondered why Choi Jin-ah followed her father’s orders so strictly while ignoring mine so casually.
Is Choi Jin-ah a bit drunk?
Seeing her stumble slightly, it seemed like she might be.
I didn't know how many bottles of soju she’d downed, but she’d been pouring it back like it was water, claiming she couldn't taste a thing.
"Wahaha! Let's gooo!"
"Let's go! This wayyy!"
"W-wait a minute! I'm wearing heels!"
The first two were definitely drunk.
Their energy was high enough to confirm they were well and truly wasted.
When we arrived, what greeted us was a makeshift ring, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
In that simple space, people who looked like they knew how to throw a punch were warming up.
The spectators were all cheering and placing bets.
Amidst the crowd, a beauty who commanded the space just by existing caught my eye.
Ignoring the greedy gazes surrounding her, Seo Ye-rin was throwing punches into the air.
In front of her stood Senior Ju-hee, half-heartedly listening to Ye-rin’s advice.
"Hey, what are you doing!"
Feeling a sense of relief, I approached Seo Ye-rin. She raised her hand high with a bright smile.
"Woo-jin! You're here! Perfect timing!"
"What's going on? Did someone pick a fight?"
I was taken aback to see Senior Ju-hee wearing boxing gloves.
Upon seeing me, the Senior turned pale and hurriedly began pulling the gloves off.
"I-I'm sorry! Doing something so personal while on duty...!"
"No, just explain what's happening first."
When I asked, Seo Ye-rin pointed excitedly at a man on the other side of the ring.
It was Ha In-ho, the guy who had tried to hit on her earlier.
"After you disappeared, he came back and started pestering me again! Senior Ju-hee blocked him, but—!"
Once I was gone, Ha In-ho had tried his luck again.
It must have been a blow to his pride, but Seo Ye-rin’s beauty was so peerless that he clearly couldn't give up.
"One thing led to another, and Senior Ju-hee agreed to spar with their bodyguard! If she wins, he has to get lost! Apparently, only bodyguards wearing blue wristbands can participate!"
"Don't you think you skipped a few details?"
Feeling like the story had suddenly jumped ahead, I asked again. Seo Ye-rin stole a glance at Senior Ju-hee.
"Well, that is..."
The Senior scratched the back of her head and cautiously shifted her gaze.
There, a professional racing bike was on display as a prize.
"Don't tell me you turned this into a sparring match just to get that?"
"..."
Senior Ju-hee kept her mouth shut.
To be fair, she did look like someone who would suit a bike very well.
"The gas for that thing is expensive."
"O-occasionally! I thought it would be nice to ride once or twice. If it's too hard to maintain, I could... always... sell it."
Senior Ju-hee’s voice grew smaller and smaller.
"Don't worry, Woo-jin! I'm giving the Senior a crash course in fighting! Senior, look at this! Swish! Swish-swish! Take that, you little shit! Like this!"
The sight of Seo Ye-rin throwing toddler-like punches was admittedly cute.
I grabbed her by the head, pulled her back, and asked Senior Ju-hee.
"Senior, I see there’s no protective gear like headguards. Are you okay?"
The Senior hesitated for a moment, looked around, then pointed at herself and asked back.
"Me? Are you asking me? If I'm okay?"
"..."
"Ahem, I mean—Young Master?"
Carefully correcting her form of address, Senior Ju-hee tried to put on a kind smile as she gave her advice.
"Just get ready to collect the winnings."
Right.
Who was I even worrying about?
"Of course, if the Young Master forbids it, I will not step out."
Well, then.
"We're on a ship, so don't beat him up too badly. He won't be able to get to a hospital."
"Yes, sir. Understood."
With a confident reply, Senior Ju-hee began putting her gloves back on.
Seo Ye-rin, freed from my grip, started giving instructions again like a passionate coach, but I ignored that.
I turned around and asked the three women who were watching with interest.
"How much money do you all have? Pull out your wallets."
* * *
"That's it! That's what I'm talking about!"
As Min Ju-hee’s punch landed squarely on the opposing bodyguard’s face, knocking him down, Kim Woo-jin let out a cheer that bordered on a seizure.
Choi Jin-ah had been a bit flustered when he suddenly asked how much money they had and took it.
Is this what you call absolute faith?
She thought he might have been certain his bodyguard would win no matter what.
In any case.
Min Ju-hee, Kim Woo-jin’s bodyguard, had overwhelmingly crushed her opponent without allowing a single clean hit.
Compared to her opponent’s professional movements, hers were closer to those of a wild beast, which ironically left the opponent helpless and unable to respond.
"Kyaaaa! Oppa!"
"Look at all this money! I told you, didn't I?! Double! It’s definitely double!"
The two women beside her immediately lunged at Kim Woo-jin once they won their money.
They had looked reluctant when they first gave him the cash.
Now, they looked ready to shower him with kisses as they tried to cling to him.
"Get away! Get away! He’s mine! I said he’s mine!"
However, they couldn't even get close because of Seo Ye-rin, who was using both hands to push them back and defend Kim Woo-jin.
"Hehe."
Choi Jin-ah, taking in the whole scene from a step behind, had a small smile on her lips.
To be honest, earning a bit of extra pocket change didn't move her much.
For her, this time was more valuable than any material thing.
It was a time she would never have experienced under normal circumstances.
She felt a sense of exhilaration, as if she had stepped into a movie or a drama.
She never imagined she would be at the center of such a rough, crude, and passionate place.
I’m feeling inspired.
She was truly sincere about the violin.
Her calloused fingers twitched, moving naturally to the rhythm forming in her head.
As someone who also enjoyed composing, she felt that today would have a significant impact on her musical life.
"Kyaaa! What should we do?! How much did we even make?!"
"This is insane! Totally insane!"
The two women, blocked from approaching Kim Woo-jin, rushed over to Choi Jin-ah and started sharing what they would do with the money they’d won from the bets.
Actually, we shouldn't be doing this.
Since it was essentially illegal gambling, Choi Jin-ah couldn't be entirely happy.
In fact, it made her feel a sense of disconnect from them.
But hadn't he said it?
He just did what he wanted to do.
It was only after doing it that it became a 'deviation' or a 'problem'; he hadn't intended to do anything bad in the first place.
How does he manage to show me exactly what I need?
Probably no one would make an issue out of what happened here.
This was that kind of party, and James would ensure everyone kept their mouths shut.
These seemingly trivial details were the reason the costs for a shipboard party were so inflated.
Money is the most suitable tool for closing people's mouths—as her father used to say—
"…!"
The phone vibrating in her handbag pulled all her thoughts toward it.
The name appearing on the screen instantly shattered all the exhilaration she had been feeling.
"Yes, Fa...ther."
She tried her best to keep her voice from trembling.
— Progress?
He went straight to the point without a greeting.
That overbearing voice, which sounded like pebbles scraping against a throat, always made her shrink.
"W-well—"
— It’s too loud, I can't hear you. Go somewhere quiet.
Her father’s request came because he couldn't hear her well over the surrounding noise.
For a moment, Choi Jin-ah couldn't even process the words.
She was so anxious that she couldn't hear anything except her father’s voice.
H-how do I report the progress?
She hadn't done anything.
To her, this event was no different from a blind date.
If she told him she hadn't achieved any results yet, what would he—
"Run!"
In that instant.
Her vision shifted rapidly.
Kim Woo-jin suddenly snatched the wrist of the hand holding her phone and began to run as if it were an extreme emergency.
"Eh? What?! W-what is this!"
"Hurry! We have to go right now!"
"W-wait a second!"
Kim Woo-jin wove through the crowd, pulling Choi Jin-ah along.
She almost dropped her phone in the middle of it, but Kim Woo-jin snatched it and checked the call screen.
"We're busy right now!"
Click.
"Ah."
Choi Jin-ah was more than a little stunned by the sight of him unilaterally hanging up on her father.
"What do you think you're doing?! Why are you suddenly acting like this!"
"I can't explain it to you! So just run for now! We only need to run a little bit!"
Even though she was being dragged along rather forcefully by Kim Woo-jin, who refused to explain.
Strangely, Choi Jin-ah’s heart began to feel lighter.
The suffocating feeling from just a moment ago had vanished.
The reason was obvious.
The heels she’d been wearing had already come off.
Her hair was a mess, fluttering in the wind.
The deck was too hard to run on in just stockings.
But she felt more free in this disheveled state than ever before.
Moreover, Kim Woo-jin was the one holding the phone where her father’s voice had been coming from.
It felt as if...
As if he were rescuing her from her father.
"Haha! Hahaha!"
A thrilling laugh burst out as she felt the cool night breeze.
"What are you laughing at? Run!"
...At least until Kim Woo-jin barked at her.