Let You Down (4)

According to the mentors' evaluation of the Cargo Labyrinth, Kang Hyun's team took first place. The reasoning was that their labyrinth had the highest difficulty, their cooperation was harmonious, and they executed their mission flawlessly.

Mm-hmm. Fair enough.

After that, scenes of the explorers' daily lives at the dorms and their lessons in the mentor classes flashed by...

—Yu Ji-in: "As you can see, we are at a department store today. This mission is brought to you in collaboration with BraveWorld."

BW Department Store. Labyrinth Exploration NaN had secured product placement from South Korea's most famous department store.

—Yu Ji-in: "What you need to do here is simple. You will be preparing for a trip. Simply put, it's shopping! Of course, you don't have any money on you, do you? Your currency will be your total number of votes."

Votes. Specifically, the profile votes cast on the broadcasting station's website, since the weekly live text votes for the explorers hadn't been tallied yet.

—Yu Ji-in: "Please look forward to a very special trip after your shopping spree. Hints about your destination are scattered all over this department store!"

Afterward, the explorers browsed around the department store. The camera kindly highlighted the hints for the viewers.

A painting of a pristine white snowfield hanging on the wall, the explorers' breath fogging up because of how cold the department store was, and a billboard for a famous outdoor brand's winter parkas that was clearly product placement...

“Looks like they're going somewhere cold.”

Just then, Im Hae-jun and Seol Ha-woon appeared on screen.

—Seol Ha-woon: "You should get a suitcase too."

—Im Hae-jun: "Eh, I'm a backpacker. I don't really like dragging a suitcase around..."

—Seol Ha-woon: "Just buy one."

—Im Hae-jun: "...Yes, sir."

Lee Si-ah smiled without realizing it. At some point, the chemistry between those two had become incredibly entertaining.

Im Hae-jun sighed and picked up a suitcase. Seol Ha-woon pointed with a hawk-like gaze.

—Seol Ha-woon: "Bigger."

—Im Hae-jun: "This one is plenty for me, though?"

—Seol Ha-woon: "I said, buy a bigger one."

—Im Hae-jun: "What the? Hyung, why are you nagging me so much? This size suits me perfectly."

Im Hae-jun tried to rebel slightly, but Seol Ha-woon's eyes were practically shooting lasers.

—Im Hae-jun: "...Ugh, seriously."

In the end, he grunted as he pulled out a massive suitcase.

In fact, Seol Ha-woon stuffed all kinds of survival gear into his suitcase and forced Im Hae-jun to do the same.

Meanwhile, the other explorers also began bundling up. Most of them, including Kang Hyun, Lee Jun-ho, Kate, and Jo Woon, wore heavy winter parkas and packed emergency rations and camping gear into their bags.

—Kang Hyun: "Jong-su. Shall we stop here?"

—Lee Jong-su: "Yeah, let's do that. It might get too cumbersome if we carry too much."

Then the screen cut back to Seol Ha-woon and Im Hae-jun.

“Pfft.”

Lee Si-ah burst out laughing. The chat section was in a similar state.

They were wearing parkas so thick they looked like layers of polar bear blubber. On top of their suitcases, they had massive backpacks, duffel bags, ropes, and all sorts of gear clattering all over their bodies.

—Im Hae-jun: "...Hyung, is this really right? Are you sure about this?"

—Seol Ha-woon: "Just go pay."

The two arrived at the checkout counters. It was quite busy since they were self-checkout machines. Kang Hyun held the scanner upside down and tried to scan his own forehead before being stopped by Lee Jong-su, while Lee Jun-ho accidentally snapped his scanner in half.

Just then, Seol Ha-woon's gaze drifted elsewhere. It was toward Seo Ji-woo and Yun Hwa-rim.

“Wow. She's beautiful.”

Lee Si-ah admired her anew. Seo Ji-woo had undergone a glamorous transformation. The luxury clothes fit her perfectly, like a professional model.

At that moment, Seo Ji-woo glanced at Seol Ha-woon and raised her chin proudly.

—Seo Ji-woo: "Hey. What are you looking at?"

—Yun Hwa-rim: "Oh? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Spellcaster Ha-woon."

Yun Hwa-rim smirked playfully upon spotting Seol Ha-woon.

—Yun Hwa-rim: "What do you think~? Ji-woo looks pretty, doesn't she~? Hehe."

—Seol Ha-woon: "Sigh..."

Seol Ha-woon let out a deep sigh. It was an inexplicable sigh.

—Seo Ji-woo: "A sigh? What's that sigh for?"

Seol Ha-woon suddenly stuffed chocolates, emergency rations, and a few other items into a small bag and tossed it over to Seo Ji-woo.

—Im Hae-jun: "Ah! Hyung! Those, those chocolates are mine!!"

Im Hae-jun protested loudly.

—Seo Ji-woo: "...What, what am I supposed to do with this?"

Seo Ji-woo blinked at Seol Ha-woon. To his baffling action, Seol Ha-woon's response was simple:

—Seol Ha-woon: "It's cold outside."

“...Good grief.”

That last comment was 100% written by someone who knew Seo Ji-woo in real life. What a petty way to show jealousy.

In any case, Seol Ha-woon turned around with Im Hae-jun.

—Im Hae-jun: "Hehe... Hyung, you like Seo Ji-woo, don't you?"

Im Hae-jun teased Seol Ha-woon.

—Seol Ha-woon: "Quiet."

—Im Hae-jun: "No way~ No way~"

Thwack.

Seol Ha-woon smacked the back of Im Hae-jun's head.

“Pfft.”

The shopping spree ended. Most of the explorers had dressed warmly. Even Seo Ji-woo managed to buy a winter parka right at the buzzer.

—Yu Ji-in: "Everyone, are you ready to embark on your trip?"

Yu Ji-in wore a meaningful smile.

—Yu Ji-in: "Before that... what exactly is inside your suitcases and travel bags right now?"

Ominous background music began to play. Lee Si-ah nodded. She knew it. There was no way they would let them enjoy such luxury without any strings attached.

—Yu Ji-in: "Let me tell you. Your next mission is the Survival Labyrinth."

The Survival Labyrinth.

The camera panned over the shocked faces of the explorers one by one, and immediately after:

Subtitles appeared on a pitch-black screen. Slowly, the darkness faded, revealing the landscape.

It was a snowfield.

“I knew it.”

They kept dropping hints about the cold for a reason...

“...Already?”

Lee Si-ah startled and checked the clock. Somehow, another three hours had flown by. She had completely lost track of time.

The wait was always long, but the broadcast felt like a mere split second.

“Today was fun too...”

Lee Si-ah smiled warmly. There was also a decent piece of bait to chew on: the strange tension flowing between Seol Ha-woon and Seo Ji-woo.

“...It's cold outside.”

Either way, it was a highly intriguing scene.

Lee Si-ah checked her social media first.

#LabyrinthExplorationNaN

#KangHyun

#LeeJunho

#SeoJiwoo

#ImHaejunSeolHawoon

#ItsColdOutside

“...It's blowing up.”

The real-time trends were already dominated, and the tweet count was massive. Even in English-speaking countries, the keywords were trending quite high. Wasn't it early morning over there?

Lee Si-ah checked the community forums.

“The entire page is filled with Labyrinth Exploration NaN...”

There were countless posts, all related to the show. Among them, Seol Ha-woon had a significant share of the spotlight.

Lee Si-ah read the comments below the posts.

Finally, Lee Si-ah skimmed through the articles on portal sites.

There were quite a few articles about Seol Ha-woon. Of course, his share of the media was still lacking compared to major contestants like Kang Hyun, Lee Jun-ho, or Seo Ji-woo.

Still, if she combined the various communities, social media, and fan cafes, it was enough to form a substantial 'mass.'

In Lee Si-ah's eyes, she could see the people who were on the verge of falling for Seol Ha-woon, or those who had already become fans without even realizing it.

Just as the articles said, Seol Ha-woon had officially gained a fandom of his own.

Lee Si-ah was curious. How much larger could this fandom grow? And how much could she help it expand?

With a grin, she placed her hands on her laptop.

Suddenly, my public recognition had risen. It was likely thanks to the live broadcast currently airing.

It was a good thing.

“Here it is.”

Thud.

The Orphanage Director placed a sack filled with black tea leaves on the table.

“This is all I have for now. I've already spoken to my father back in my hometown, so the rest should be delivered next week.”

“I see.”

Taking the sack, a sudden curiosity struck me.

“...What is your hometown like?”

“It's a peaceful place. There are no people, no factories, nothing at all, but the air is clean.”

The Orphanage Director adjusted his glasses with his mechanical right arm. He wore a bittersweet smile, as if reminiscing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about the past.

Just like this, even the Labyrinthins harbored their own stories, pasts, and memories.

I asked him,

“...Do I just steep the black tea in hot water?”

“I would recommend boiling water at ninety-seven degrees Celsius.”

“Understood. Ninety-seven degrees.”

I steeped the tea leaves in water boiled using mana. I took a sip of the deep red tea.

Slurp.

I felt my body stabilize. My overheated neck, spinal cord, and eyes gradually calmed down.

However, the fatigue remained severe. The Sequence was definitely a method that placed an immense burden on a spellcaster.

“How does it taste?” the Orphanage Director asked.

“...Satisfactory.”

I looked out the window. Before I knew it, the sun had set.

“Why don't you stay for the night? We have a spare bed. Thanks to our good business, we can afford to treat a guest.”

The director smiled, patting his pocket. I hadn't counted the exact amount, but since I had given him half of the money the thug had collected, it must have been a substantial sum.

“Alright. I will stay for just tonight, then.”

I'll consider it a donation.

“This way, please. I'll show you to your room.”

The director stood up.

“Here we are.”

I arrived at a small room. It was only slightly larger than a tiny studio apartment, but it was quite cozy, containing two ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bunk beds where my legs would likely dangle halfway off if I lay down. Various worn, hand-stained items were scattered about, suggesting the children's room had been hastily cleared out.

“Well then, have a good rest.”

The director stepped outside. I paced around the room for a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed.

As I closed my eyes to organize my thoughts on the day's events, suddenly...

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A sound like a knock came from the window. I extended my cane and drew back the curtain.

Three or four children were looking up at me from the first-floor playground outside. When our eyes met, they exaggerated their lip movements.

—Thank you!

I said nothing as I looked at the brightly smiling kids. I drew the curtain shut again and sat back down on the bed.

I didn't do anything worthy of your gratitude.

In fact, it might be the exact opposite. I might be the villain who will eventually erase you all from existence.

Perhaps this entire program is just one giant, sick joke...

“...”

Without a word, I pulled out a few bills.

I, too, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grew up in an orphanage. Outsiders would visit from time to time. Some came to volunteer, others to do business, but in my young mind, the ones I liked most were the adults who opened their wallets easily.

I slipped the bills into an envelope and scribbled a note.

This was originally the children's room.

I wondered if the kids who had been kicked out of their own room for a guest would be able to smile brightly with this.