Rest (1)
“Ugh…!”
A sharp sting shot through me. Cheon Hayeon stared at me with ice-cold eyes. I knew I wasn’t supposed to laugh, but hearing that I’d received a confession from a woman made it nearly impossible to hold back the grin threatening to break out.
When Cheon Hayeon had said “I’m sorry” in that single, decisive line and Bae Yuri had burst into tears before running away, I could only blink in stunned silence. Somehow, even the ever-composed Cheon Hayeon had stood there with her mouth hanging open. It wasn’t a sight you saw every day, so I’d found it genuinely amusing.
“Why don’t you just drop the cross-dressing while you’re at it? Isn’t it a waste to hide such a pretty face?”
“...It is not something I can decide on my own.”
“That’s a shame.”
So it really was an order from her father, the Heavenly Demon. The image of the Heavenly Demon inside my head was rapidly shifting from supreme absolute ruler to overprotective dad.
“Do you just go around telling anyone they’re pretty?”
Han Yeoreum narrowed her eyes at me. Anyone? I was completely justified.
“No. I’ve only ever said it to you and Cheon Hayeon. I’m just being honest.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. You.”
“Hehe… Then it’s fine.”
The way she suddenly scratched her cheek and broke into a silly grin was just… Yeah. In moments like this, she really was the definition of simple-minded.
“Shall we head out?”
I stretched once and stood up. Staying cooped up in a hospital room was starting to drive me crazy. Thanks to the U.S. Navy’s cooperation, I was staying in a private room that felt more like a hotel suite, but a hospital room was still a hospital room.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. I think I can walk around a bit now.”
Vigorous movement was still out of the question, but this much wouldn’t interfere with daily life.
“Don’t push yourself.”
“I’m really fine. Let’s go grab something to eat.”
I ruffled Han Yeoreum’s hair as I spoke. She shook her head vigorously for a moment before finally nodding.
“Cheon Hayeon, you’re coming too, right?”
“I shall remain here. The two of you enjoy your time together.”
In the end, Cheon Hayeon decided to stay in the room. This hospital ship, created by converting an entire oil tanker, was enormous. It even had a massive cafeteria inside.
The standard hospital food provided was certainly better than what we’d eaten on the deserted island, but I was starting to crave something else for a change.
As the two of us wandered around the ship sightseeing, I could feel multiple gazes following us. They seemed fascinated by us murim practitioners. In America, they apparently called people like us superheroes. Once I thought of it that way, those stares made perfect sense. After all, the power we actually possessed was no different from the superheroes you saw in movies.
We kept walking and looking around until a rich, intense aroma suddenly hit my nose. Drawn in like moths to a flame, we stepped into the cafeteria.
It was mostly buffet-style, but there were stations where they cooked fresh to order.
“It’s chicken.”
Han Yeoreum murmured in a dazed voice. And not just any chicken—freshly fried. That strong smell we’d caught outside the cafeteria had been this.
“...Huh?”
Han Yeoreum stared intently at something and tilted her head. I followed her gaze and saw a woman who looked remarkably like her, elegantly yet diligently tearing into a piece of chicken.
Professor Cheongha noticed us approaching and quickly wiped her hands and mouth.
“How is your body feeling?”
“Thanks to you, I’m doing well.”
When I glanced at the chicken and cola, Professor Cheongha averted her eyes and began twirling the ends of her hair.
“It’s… really delicious. Would you like some? These days, even masters don’t survive on grass alone.”
Professor Cheongha hesitantly offered me a chicken drumstick. The natural excuse that followed was oddly cute. Even by pre-possession standards, I wasn’t sure if calling an older woman “cute” was appropriate, but…
Still, recommending something like this to someone who was technically a patient made me wonder if Professor Cheongha was actually a bit dense herself. In any case, you really couldn’t judge people by appearances. Or perhaps her appearance matched her personality perfectly. It wasn’t just her looks that were pure—her mind was pure too.
“Then I won’t refuse.”
I accepted some of the chicken that was still frying and sat down beside Professor Cheongha. I wasn’t sure if they should be serving this in a ‘hospital,’ but from the perspective of the medical staff and crew, surviving solely on hospital food must have been difficult. Especially since they were sailing in the middle of the vast ocean—they needed to eat well.
Crunch.
I took a bite. Juices and rich oil flowed out. The salty seasoning on the meat, the crispy texture, and the perfect harmony of carbohydrates and fat—it was everything I had missed. Truly, modern civilization was the best. Washing it down with a sip of cola made me feel like I’d reached heaven. This was heaven.
“This is yassuji.”
Han Yeoreum bit into her chicken with a blissful expression.
“Yassu? What does that mean…?”
Professor Cheongha asked, slightly furrowing her brows. She seemed to be thinking hard. Should I really explain this?
Han Yeoreum, who had unconsciously blurted it out, seemed to realize her mistake. She froze solid with the chicken leg still in her mouth, cold sweat pouring down her face.
“...It means it’s delicious.”
She set the drumstick down, lowered her gaze at an angle, clutched her hair with both hands, and muttered quietly.
“Ah, I see. This really is yassu, isn’t it?”
Professor Cheongha smiled brightly and nodded with pure innocence.
Han Yeoreum’s face turned bright red.
I’m screwed.
I knew she’d mess up big time one day. I’d told her to watch her mouth.
[W-what do I do?]
[What do you mean, what do you do?]
[If Professor Cheongha starts saying “yassu” everywhere else, it’s over. What do I do?]
[This is your mistake. Tough it out with sheer willpower.]
[Hey, stop joking. I’m serious. If it ruins Professor Cheongha’s image, it’ll be my fault.]
[Should I… tell her the truth?]
To be honest, I was conflicted too. Watching her quietly mutter “this is yassu” while picking up another piece of chicken made me worry she might naturally say it during a faculty meeting someday.
I cleared my throat and spoke up.
“Ahem, Professor Cheongha?”
“Yes. Go ahead, Cadet Kim Mugong.”
The way she spoke while chewing on her cheek made her look cute again. Maybe because she resembled Han Yeoreum, I already felt a strange sense of closeness with her. The urge to tease her surged wildly, but I held it back. I didn’t want to hear “I’m your professor and you’re my student.”
Though recently I had sent someone who said something similar straight to the afterlife while giving them a nice cremation as a bonus.
“The word ‘yassu’ is slang, so it would be better if you didn’t use it. This girl has a pretty dirty mouth.”
I nudged Han Yeoreum in the side with my elbow as I spoke.
“Is that so? It’s true that people tend to use more slang with those they’re comfortable with. I understand. But what exactly does it mean?”
“...It has a sexual meaning. It’s not really something you should say out loud.”
“Sexual…?”
At this point, shouldn’t she start catching on? Wondering if she was teasing me on purpose, I looked into Professor Cheongha’s eyes. They were the very picture of purity. I felt bad for even suspecting her.
“Yes. Between a man and a woman… that kind of thing.”
Only then did Professor Cheongha fully understand what I meant. Her face gradually turned red. She had muttered “yassu” about five times without knowing what it meant, so her reaction was completely understandable. According to the Unicorn Divine Art’s discernment, Professor Cheongha was still a virgin.
“I-I see. Understood. I will make sure not to use it again.”
“Yes. That would be for the best.”
With the mood now somewhat awkward, we continued eating chicken in silence.
Suddenly remembering something, I turned to Professor Cheongha.
“Professor Cheongha. There’s something I’d like to ask.”
“Yes. Ask me anything.”
“After we reach Okinawa, will we return straight to the academy?”
“Mm, no, that’s not the case.”
Professor Cheongha thought for a moment before shaking her head.
“Because of the investigation?”
“More than that… it’s closer to the original schedule. The investigation might throw things off a bit, but we’ll probably follow the plan for the most part.”
“What was the original schedule?”
“After the deserted island evaluation, we were supposed to give the cadets who worked hard a period of rest. It’s like a surprise vacation. Since we’ve come all the way to Okinawa, it would be a shame to just leave, wouldn’t it?”
That was true. Making us go through twenty-one days of brutal training and then immediately return to the academy to prepare for written exams would have been too harsh. Humans weren’t machines. Even machines would break down if you worked them that hard.
Besides, Okinawa was a famous resort destination in this world as well. Safety had become incredibly important compared to the past, and Okinawa—swarming with American troops—was among the safest places. Naturally, it ranked high on resort destination lists too.
Professor Cheongha glanced sideways at Han Yeoreum for a moment before her lips moved silently. It was a transmission. Han Yeoreum was too busy stuffing her cheeks with chicken to notice.
[Cadet Kim Mugong has a separate schedule. I was planning to visit you later, but it seems there’s no need now.]
[A schedule? I remember the investigators came while I was lying down and finished taking my statement.]
[It’s not related to the Blood Sect. The academy was already aware of the danger posed by the orb that existed in the forbidden zone. Since we don’t know what kind of effect it may have had on your body, it has been decided that additional testing is necessary. You may refuse, but I hope you will accept. This is my personal opinion.]
This hospital ship had facilities that rivaled the best university hospitals in the country, so most examinations were possible. However, matters related to meridians or true qi belonged to a slightly different domain from modern medicine. In fact, no matter how many CT scans they ran, they couldn’t identify the thing that had solidified near my heart.
After finishing my thoughts, I sent a reply.
[I will accept.]
[Understood. The Heavenly Hand Divine Doctor has made the journey himself. I can guarantee you will not lose anything by doing this. Originally, Cadet Kim Mugong’s body was… well, you know.]
[Thank you for your consideration.]
[If it hadn’t been for you, a major disaster could have occurred… Thank you. And I’m sorry for being such an incompetent professor.]
With a heavy expression, Professor Cheongha let out a deep sigh.
[It’s fine. As long as there were no victims, that’s all that matters, isn’t it?]
[...Understood. Anyway, once the schedule is finalized, I will inform you again. Please rest comfortably.]
Professor Cheongha picked up her plate, which was piled high with chicken bones, and stood up.
“Eat plenty. I’ll take my leave first.”
She gave a small nod and left.
As I was talking with her, something suddenly occurred to me. I immediately opened my status window. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought to check it until now.
When I looked at the stats section, a new trait that hadn’t been there before had been added.
New Trait Acquired:
Hwama-jeong (Fire Demon Core) (-)
It appears this is the name of the thing I absorbed.