I'll Sleep Just Holding Hands (2)
I'll Sleep Just Holding Hands (2)
They say that when you're so dumbfounded, you're left speechless.
My thoughts seemed to stutter and cut off from sheer absurdity and bewilderment.
'...No'
I gaped blankly, then pouted my lips at a sudden surge of thought.
[That's unfair]
"Huh? Unfair, how so?"
[No]
[When someone says let's play for a day, it's only natural to assume it means until that evening at most]
"Ehh. But I clearly emphasized 'a day'... and you, Ha-yul, agreed to it..."
Baek A-rin tilted her head with an air of innocence.
I couldn't possibly dislike that more.
Of course, Baek A-rin's words were full of wordplay and strained logic...
But it was I who casually nodded along without much thought when she deliberately emphasized 'a day' during our promise.
It felt unfair in many ways. But that didn't mean I could nullify the fact that I had nodded.
I pondered for a moment, then projected my thoughts onto the necklace.
[Still, 24 hours is too long]
[Staying up all night to play is extremely tiring]
"Huh?"
[Besides, there's nothing really worth doing all night]
[Wouldn't it be better to just play moderately and part ways?]
I changed tack.
Instead of voicing my sense of unfairness, I shifted toward persuasion.
Thinking calmly, I reached the conclusion that Baek A-rin probably didn't actually intend to hang out for a full 24 hours.
Her aim was likely just to tease me. In fact, Baek A-rin's expression currently held a hint of mischief.
I adopted a persuasive attitude with that thought, and as if my guess was correct, Baek A-rin's expression subtly changed.
Her blinking eyes scanned my face.
Having scrutinized me several times as if gauging something, Baek A-rin opened her mouth blankly, as if she had realized something.
"...Pfft."
Then, all of a sudden, she let out a giggle.
She even covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed.
Covering her mouth was pointless; through my Observation, the corners of her lips curving upward were clearly perceptible.
"You really do seem like a baby in moments like this."
"?"
On top of that, she actually blurted out something weird out of the blue.
[I'm not a baby...]
Lately, I kept receiving absurd slander from those around me.
My temperament was a bit... bratty, true, but it wasn't... to the degree that such comparisons were warranted.
I shook my head firmly, but Baek A-rin just kept giggling and tugged at my hand, urging me to walk faster.
.
.
.
After a bit of back-and-forth, I ended up being led along by Baek A-rin.
Even amidst the waves of presence sounding from all over, the pattering footsteps right next to me were clearly audible.
"Ah, right."
While walking toward our destination, Baek A-rin suddenly pulled a plastic bag out of her subspace pocket.
There was a little something inside the plastic bag.
Snow-white. Glossy on the surface, and long...
[Cylindrical Rice Cake?]
"Yes, garaetteok."
It was garaetteok.
As I tilted my head asking what this was, Baek A-rin skillfully used one hand to pull out a piece of garaetteok from the plastic bag and held it out.
"Of course, I'm giving it to you to eat. You haven't eaten a meal yet, so you must be hungry, right? Please have this as a snack before we go to the restaurant."
'Why garaetteok all of a sudden?'
Pure white garaetteok. Last time we gathered to study, it was old-fashioned snacks like yakgwa. The red ginseng candy Baek A-rin herself often nibbled on...
Baek A-rin's peculiar taste, which could also be seen in the original work.
I couldn't shake off the impression that her tastes were unique in many ways.
With an odd expression, I tried to free my hand from hers so I could take the garaetteok. I had no choice—my other hand was already occupied.
"?"
I couldn't free it. Baek A-rin held my hand tighter.
- Kkuuk
Instead, the garaetteok came closer and pressed firmly against my lips.
Though it was in a plastic bag, it was warm and soft as if it had just been made.
"These things are originally meant to be fed by someone else. Here, say ah~."
[I can eat by myself]
"E-heh, nope."
I manipulated the Sky Wing Feather floating behind my back to show her, but for some strange reason, she ignored it.
Observing Baek A-rin's presence, she seemed still intent on teasing me.
I glanced around for a moment. Among the fairly crowded people, there were many gazes directed this way while pretending not to look.
Gazes filled with various emotions... especially surprise, wonder, and curiosity.
No matter how accustomed I had become to being watched by so many eyes, I didn't particularly want to do anything strange in such a situation.
With no other choice, I composed my expression and opened my mouth.
Then, the garaetteok was placed in my mouth.
The long garaetteok, rubbing against the roof of my mouth, bent and tapped my cheek.
I closed my mouth.
The warm, soft texture met my teeth, and I soon chewed on the piece of rice cake that had been cleanly bitten off.
'Hmm...'
The rice cake slid down my throat with a gulp.
With a puzzled expression, I bit into the next piece of garaetteok that was offered.
Chewing again... gulp.
'Mm...'
I hadn't eaten rice cake often, but I knew that people usually added or dipped it in sugar or honey.
That was because the rice cake itself didn't have much distinct flavor.
It had a unique savory taste? Something like that, but since it was very bland and mild, it was a bit lacking to eat on its own.
Right now, that was an irrelevant problem for me. Honey or sugar, I couldn't taste them anyway because of the curse.
- Omul-omul...
'...It's not bad, actually.'
Rice cake didn't have a strong taste in the first place.
Even in the past, rice cake without special seasoning was just something I ate for its texture.
Even now, under the curse, the texture remained, so I could still feel it in my own way.
"How is it?"
As I kept chewing, Baek A-rin, who was walking alongside me and feeding me the rice cake, asked.
She wiggled the piece of garaetteok she was holding in her hand.
"It's fine even without sugar or honey, right?"
I thought about it for a moment and nodded. Baek A-rin smiled as if she had expected that.
"Now that you've filled your stomach a little with a snack... let's stop by the art museum before the restaurant."
[Art museum?]
"Yes. There are several art museums in the commercial district. I hope this isn't rude, but Ha-yul, have you ever been to a place like an art museum?"
[No]
I had of course seen them online, but I had never visited an art museum in person.
"Then, would it be alright if I went with you this time?"
[Yes]
[It's fine]
"Heu-heung. Thank you. I think I might be able to resolve some of my curiosities this time."
[What are you curious about?]
Baek A-rin led the way as she answered.
"How will Ha-yul's detection ability interpret works of art?"
.
.
.
Our destination was one of the art museums within the Siyoram grounds.
A building constructed of pure white stone.
There weren't many people.
Well, with all sorts of amusements outside, there likely wouldn't be many who would bother to stop by an art museum.
A red carpet marked the path on the floor, and the format was to walk along it while viewing the artworks.
Baek A-rin was still holding my hand as we walked along the carpet and viewed the artworks.
Partly because there weren't many people, and since it was an art museum after all, everyone kept their voices down, so the atmosphere was reasonably quiet.
"How is it? What does it feel like through your detection?"
'Hic.'
Within that atmosphere.
As if she, too, had to maintain decorum, Baek A-rin would tilt her head and whisper into my ear every time she spoke.
Every time she did, her breath kept brushing my ear, making my body involuntarily flinch.
If I hadn't adjusted my senses, I probably would have immediately squirmed on the floor like a fish.
[It tickles]
When I shook my head vigorously, her breath fell away.
Baek A-rin giggled as she pointed to one side.
"Sorry. Your reactions are just too cute. But what I'm curious about is real. How does that feel to you, Ha-yul?"
When I puffed out my cheeks in displeasure, she finally gave a proper apology.
I was still not entirely satisfied, but having received a formal apology, I nodded as if to say I understood and then directed my observation toward where Baek A-rin was pointing.
In the frame hanging on the wall was a picture of black and white squares with a gray line between them.
'That one.'
It was a picture famous enough that I had seen it even in my previous world.
That optical illusion: between black and white squares, a gray horizontal line that was clearly parallel but appeared tilted at a glance.
A picture that felt fascinating even when viewed through a monitor.
[It feels ordinary to me.]
"Is that so?"
But now, it didn't feel that way.
The types of artworks were so diverse, it seemed the artworks each museum kept and exhibited varied greatly.
The art museum I visited with Baek A-rin was one with an optical illusion theme.
Fitting that theme, everything exhibited in the museum was a type of art that tricked the human eye.
A room where the walls were full of geometric patterns that seemed to ripple and move.
A sculpture whose facial expression appeared different depending on the viewer's perspective.
A video where a man was clearly running forward, but upon staring at it, he felt like he was running backward...
[It just feels like a complex pattern.]
[The inside is made from a mix of plaster and clay, and they used copper for the outer decoration.]
[This picture... seems to have used cow's blood as dye.]
It didn't apply to me.
I didn't know the details, but I had heard that there were various reasons for optical illusions.
For example, physiological illusions where the eye itself makes mistakes in perceiving objects, and cognitive illusions where the brain makes arbitrary corrections to conserve resources, leading to errors.
There would be various other detailed reasons besides these, but they didn't apply to me.
To begin with, I wasn't looking at the world with my eyes, and moreover, I had the Authority of Observation.
Observation (觀測).
It was not simply a substitute for sight; it was an Authority that collected information about what was observed.
Thanks to that, it was difficult for me to fall prey to factors like delusions, hallucinations, or optical illusions.
And not only such visual illusions, but I could also completely ignore things like phantasms and security magic.
"As expected, Ha-yul's detection ability is truly peculiar."
Baek A-rin, who had been listening intently to my explanation, murmured while wiggling her fingers.
"Replacing sight by reading colors, light and shade. A detection range that easily exceeds kilometers and precision that operates normally even within a rampaging dungeon. Penetrating defensive elements including illusions? And you're still in the early stages of growth?"
Baek A-rin, who had been folding her fingers one by one, shook her head as if amazed.
"You're a detection-type ability user that every faction would desperately want."
Even in the face of Baek A-rin's admiration, I only nodded without surprise.
'Well, it's an Authority... its performance has to be special.'
To begin with, just in terms of rank alone, it was on the same level as the Authority of Growth or the Authorities wielded by the Tower Master of Bitter Cold, the Tower Master of Purgatory, and the Tower Master of the Dead.
Though my own level was so low that I wasn't using it properly.
If my level was sufficient later, I would be able to operate it on a continental scale like the 'Observer.'
'Thanks to that, cooking has also become incredibly easy.'
Thanks to that incredible Authority, I had been able to manage the cooking I made for Master this morning fairly well.
Having lost my senses of smell and taste, it was difficult for me to distinguish between salt and sugar.
Because I couldn't tell them apart by smell or taste.
If I could see them, I might barely be able to distinguish them, but since I was also blind, it was even harder.
However, it became simple if I turned my Observation on them.
If I went into information analysis rather than simply substituting sight, it took up more resources, but either way, I could easily distinguish them.
It had helped a lot during the cooking process as well.
I was able to precisely match the ratios of seasonings and the times for cooking or boiling, and by observing the cooking progress, I could know in real-time if the food was turning out well.
Honestly, I had wondered if it would work at first, but in fact, it turned out much better than before.
The influence of Jack of All Trades was also very significant.
Perhaps because cooking skills were also ultimately included in Jack of All Trades, it felt much simpler, faster, and more delicious than when I had done it before.
Of course, it was just a simple menu for the breakfast table... but I suspected that if I made something a bit more complex and time-consuming, a noticeable difference would emerge.
.
.
.
Time passed.
The bright morning sunshine faded, and the well-maintained floor was dyed a deep orange by the sunset glow.
It hadn't gotten dark yet, but the streetlights that had been set up were gradually beginning to glow.
Also, rather than thinning out, the crowd had grown even larger.
I suspected the reason was that the taverns, which had been unpopular in the morning, were gradually opening for business in earnest.
"How has it been so far? Were you satisfied?"
As I scanned the surroundings with Observation, Baek A-rin, who had likewise been looking around, asked.
The eyes that were staring at me with a faint smile made me momentarily recall the events of the last few hours.
The memory of the art museum, which had no particular emotional impact but was fairly fascinating when analyzed through Observation.
The memory of walking around a department store full of various products I had never seen in my previous world.
The memory of chewing on the traditional food of some country, where I couldn't feel the taste but the texture was decent.
[Yes.]
Though cool... the sensation of her palm had now become familiar and softened.
[I was satisfied.]
At the very least, the thought of 'I shouldn't have come out' didn't arise.
"That's really a relief."
Baek A-rin, who had been staring at me as if waiting for an answer, let out a sigh of relief.
Soon after, she let out a small laugh and spoke.
"Then, this is the last course now."
The last course. With those words, Baek A-rin once again guided my hand.
Following her guidance, which was now familiar and not particularly uncomfortable, I quietly checked the time.
6 PM.
It wasn't a late hour.
At that, I let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
That talk about 24 hours must have been a joke after all.
'Will we just eat dinner and part ways like this, or look at one more thing and part ways?'
Then it would be a perfectly suitable time.
.
.
.
[What is this?]
I tilted my head at the building located in front of me.
A massive dome-shaped building with an enclosed ceiling. Its size rivaled a soccer stadium.
The most peculiar feature was that the interior of the domed ceiling was densely packed with Mana Crystals and Magical Formulas.
Other buildings also had formulas embedded for security and protection, but not to the point of being packed so densely.
Also, compared to the size of the facility, I sensed no presences inside.
"You'll find out everything once we go in."
At my question full of doubt, Baek A-rin simply urged me on with a meaningful smile.
I had no choice but to follow Baek A-rin into the building.
The 1st-floor lobby was also completely devoid of people.
Without minding it, Baek A-rin pressed her smartwatch against the kiosk at the desk to authenticate something, and then guided me through a large door behind the desk.
A staircase appeared when the door opened.
'What is this?'
There were quite a lot of stairs. It was a very suggestive facility.
By this point, my curiosity was strongly piqued. As this feeling was quite agreeable, I did not try to grasp the inside of the facility with Observation.
At the end of the stairs, another huge door stood.
Finally arriving there, Baek A-rin pushed the doors open left and right.
Had we finally arrived now?
Aware of the strongly flickering curiosity, I directed my Observation toward the inside of the opening door.
A round ceiling guessed to be the dome I had felt from outside.
And beneath it.
In the center, there was a giant bed placed all alone.
"?"
A question mark floated above my head.
* * *
Lee Ha-yul→Baek A-rin
●●●●●●○○○○(60▷63/100)
「Affection」 「Doubt」 「Confusion」
...
[ Failed to meet the conditions to break the 「Curse of Silence」 ]
[ Failed to meet the conditions to break the 「Curse of Solitude」 ]