The End of Vacation #4
The End of Vacation #4
I threw on clothes and rushed outside with Si-hoo.
Si-hoo called out, "Don't go rushing off!"
"Just hurry up and follow me, please!" I yelled back.
Si-hoo was wearing ordinary casual clothes. Shorts and a boxy tee. Absolutely flawless male disguise. Anyone would think she was a guy dressed like that.
But once Si-hoo tosses aside the guy clothes... well, huge breasts.
"Oh right, Si-hoo. Even if we go out today, let's stay away from the mountains."
"Is this because of the otherworld thing from last time?"
"Yeah."
"Honestly, if it's just the two of us, I doubt anything would go wrong."
"Just you and me, Si-hoo?"
I ran the numbers in my head for a sec and arrived at the same conclusion. Absolutely, if it's just Si-hoo and me, nothing would go wrong.
[...]
The Status Window ability.
With that, finding our way would be dead easy. And if Si-hoo and I join forces, we'd make quick work of even a high-rank monster.
"That does sound decent. We'd get more experience, too."
"Get more... experience, huh."
"What. You got a problem?"
"Uh... never mind. Actually, ever since then, the Otherworld Abduction Incidents keep happening, you know?"
The frequency had noticeably dropped, but a few cases still occurred every day. Searching online news, it looked like two or three people went missing per day.
And that was only counting cases where CCTV left a trace.
"Seriously. Just thinking about it makes me too furious to live. Those bastards dare lay hands on civilians."
Still, no one else had come back except for me and that group. Did that mean nobody else had found a Fragment there?
"I can't forgive them either. Hey, Geun-cheol. Let's at least get some food first."
"Sure."
We ducked into a random tonkatsu place and ate. Unfortunately, since Si-hoo is a woman, I couldn't crack the circumcision joke I pull every time I hit a tonkatsu joint with a guy friend.
"And that's the real shame. Not being able to bust out the circumcision joke."
"Don't say gross stuff while we're eating...! And you basically already did!"
"Don't be ridiculous! When have I ever said gross stuff!"
"I'm losing it, I'm losing my mind!"
"Tee-hee-hee."
Anyway, teasing Si-hoo is as fun as ever. Once we'd filled our stomachs and headed out, Si-hoo sidled up next to me and spoke.
"Geun-cheol. Look at this."
"Hmm?"
I looked at the phone screen being shown to me and saw news about a new movie. Going by the title and poster, it looked like an ordinary melodrama.
"Since we're out, let's catch a movie, Geun-cheol. Vacation's almost over anyway. There won't be many chances like this."
"True. They said things get busy from second semester. Let's go."
"Okay!"
We headed straight for the theater.
"..."
When should I bring it up?
Today, no matter what, I want to hear about Si-hoo's secret. My gut says this is extremely important.
Mulling it over as we chatted and walked, we reached the theater. We got tickets, bought popcorn and soda.
"Si-hoo. Hold on. Take the popcorn and soda for a sec."
"Okay. Why, bathroom?"
Si-hoo took them without a trace of suspicion.
"Nah. They were too heavy."
"What! Hey! Take them back right now!"
"You're stronger than me."
"Geun-cheol, you...! Ugh, seriously. You're such a child."
"Wahhh."
"Gah!"
We kept bickering like that until it was time to go in. Without me ever carrying the popcorn, we entered the screening room.
"Geun-cheol. Keep acting up and I might just show up wearing women's clothes."
"What the hell are you talking about, you!"
What kind of threat is that!
"Wonder if you could even walk around properly with me in normal clothes? You'd be so distracted you'd lose your head."
Thinking about it, that would be severely problematic!
If Si-hoo dropped the male disguise just to mess with me and came out in feminine clothes, that would be a major incident. Too many things to worry about on all fronts.
"I'm sorry! Let's just watch the movie!"
"Good, Geun-cheol."
"Fine!"
Still, her actually dropping the disguise and wearing normal clothes.
I do want to see it.
* * *
"Haa. What a train wreck of a movie."
"But the part at the end where he carved up the building with a sword and wrote a love letter on the wall—wasn't that okay?"
"It was a straight-up gag! Preposterous!"
After the movie.
Si-hoo and I went into a café, ordered coffee and little pastries, and talked.
The movie billed itself as a melodrama but was really high-concept gag-action romance. I liked its unique over-the-top sensibility, but Si-hoo clearly rated it rock bottom.
"Haah, the movie was a bust. So, Geun-cheol, want to rest a little and then hit the training ground? We can check your skills. I'll let you know if there's anything to work on."
"Not a bad idea."
Now.
—Clack.
I set my coffee cup down and spoke.
"Si-hoo. There's something I've been wondering about."
"Huh? Wondering? What?"
"Why exactly are you hiding your gender?"
"What?"
—Slurp.
Si-hoo, mid-sip of her coffee, froze.
I'd heard about this before, but she never gave me a real answer. Something about the Sovereign Commander, or whatever. But... today I am dead set on getting to the bottom of it.
Si-hoo wouldn't be cross-dressing for no reason.
The Si-hoo in my memories—yeah, they're only glimpses, but she'd dropped the disguise. Long hair flowing without bandages wrapped around her chest; it's safe to say she'd completely abandoned the male presentation.
Why did she stop?
To find her gender identity? Obviously not for some nonsense reason like that. There's a truly important cause. Something so important that the current Si-hoo has to maintain this absurd male disguise.
"Geun-cheol, I already told you last time."
Si-hoo's expression turned serious. She looked me straight in the eye and spoke.
"That's—"
"I heard it, but this time I want to hear it properly. What's the exact reason? What makes you keep up the disguise? Si-hoo."
"Geun-cheol, no matter what, I can't just reveal family secrets..."
"Family secrets, huh."
I'd heard something similar last time.
"C'mon. It's fine. We're friends, aren't we."
"What are you even saying. More importantly, why are you suddenly asking that? Even if we are friends, that's..."
Si-hoo looked deeply troubled.
But they say ten blows will fell any tree. Knowing Si-hoo's personality, if I keep at her persistently, there's a high chance she'll tell me.
"How do I put this. After going to that bizarre place, nearly dying, and making it back—everything around me started to feel precious. And that made me want to know more about my friends' secrets, I guess... something like that."
Si-hoo is the protagonist.
I believed Si-hoo would pull through no matter what.
But that's just a lazy, comfortable assumption. There's no way such a vague, hand-wavy outlook will play out smoothly.
And Si-hoo is strong, but not nearly strong enough to prevent the destruction from my memories. Si-hoo needs to grow way more. But how exactly does she grow?
Just training normally at school and going through standard drills can't multiply her power beyond the current level. Completing the curriculum will make her an elite hero, but school classes alone can't produce a true Munchkin.
It's simple logic. The academy isn't a Munchkin factory. It teaches you how to handle mana and fight as a hero. How to survive. How to grow. How to coordinate with the military. That's it.
"So, Si-hoo. Let me in on the secret behind your disguise. I'm dying to know your secret."
"What do you mean, you want to know more secrets..."
—Slurp.
Face flushed, Si-hoo sucked in a mouthful of her café latte.
The way she blushes and avoids eye contact like that, she looks absolutely, unmistakably like a girl. A terribly shy girl at that.
You get the male impression because no curves are visible below the neck, but peel back the layers and she's definitely a woman.
"If I want to know, I want to know. Hey. Am I not allowed to know? Huh? I'm asking if I'm not allowed."
"That's..."
"You said you're of Sovereign Commander lineage. Didn't you put it something like that last time? I figured it was some family-succession issue or whatever. But you basically just told me to leave it at that."
"..."
"But the more I think about it, the weirder it gets."
I kept talking as I sliced my cake.
"The Sovereign Commander is a married man. He's got an official wife and legitimate children. And you weren't among them, Si-hoo."
"Geun-cheol. It's not remotely strange for a man like that to have several illegitimate children."
Still avoiding my gaze, Si-hoo answered in a flat tone.
"Well, sure."
The Sovereign Commander is practically a king. A man like that having illegitimate kids is hardly shocking.
"Si-hoo. Does that stuff bother you?"
"No. It doesn't really bother me. Although when I was little, I thought I didn't have a dad at all, and I kind of hated that."
"Yeah?"
"So, Geun-cheol. What else are you wondering about? You're especially persistent today."
Si-hoo, maybe a little sulky, said this while staring straight out the window.
"Si-hoo. What does being an illegitimate child have to do with the family? Why are you disguising yourself as a man just because the Sovereign Commander orders it? That's got practically nothing to do with the family."
"In my family, it does. I'm simply following orders because I have no choice."
"No choice, huh."
—Slide.
I slipped a hand into my pocket.
My fingers met something rectangular.
The Fragment I'd planned to offer to VP last time but somehow ended up keeping for myself. I'd fiddled with it whenever I had a moment, but nothing ever surfaced.
"..."
Should I show the Fragment to Si-hoo?
If it's Si-hoo.
Wouldn't she recall something, like I did?
At the same time, I hesitated.
"Geun-cheol. Honestly... I don't think it's good for you to know too much about me."
Playing hard to get, are we.
"It's a bit much, you know. Asking me to tell you an important secret. It won't be good for you, either."
"I'm asking because I have my reasons for wanting to know."
"What reasons?"
How much should I tell Si-hoo?
That's the big dilemma. Do I lay this worry out, start with Si-hoo, and somehow bring everyone together to pool our strength? But to do that... honestly, I don't know nearly enough right now. If I collect more Fragments and recover more memories, maybe. At the moment, I'm holding zero cards.
"This might sound absurd, but... Si-hoo, what do you think it would take for you to drop the disguise and live openly as yourself?"
"Wh-What?!"
"Huh?"
"Th-That's... I don't really know."
Startled, Si-hoo looked at me.
What's that about?
"Living openly and revealing that I'm a woman... Of course I want that. Geun-cheol, were you asking because you want that to happen, too?"
Well, that is part of it.
"But... I don't really know that either."
—Scrape.
Si-hoo rose from her seat.
"I'm heading out for now, Geun-cheol."
"Hey. Let's go together."
"No. I have somewhere to be."
"Where?"
"...I'll tell you after I get back."
"Hey, wait."
As if telling me not to grab her, Si-hoo turned, strode to the stairs, and clomped down.
"Tch."
Did I ask too bluntly? I'd thought it'd be fine, but Si-hoo seemed pretty hurt.
"Gah. These damn memories, I swear."
It's maddening knowing so little.
* * *
"Kim Geun-cheol, that idiot."
Lee Si-hoo grumbled quietly to herself.
Up until the meal, the movie, and the café, it had been thoroughly enjoyable. Just the act of going out and hanging around with Geun-cheol had relieved a fair amount of stress.
But... today Geun-cheol was unusually persistent. The way his vibe had shifted recently was one thing, but anyway, it was strange.
"Just keeps prying into other people's secrets."
Secrets.
The secret that forces her to disguise herself as a man.
"...Honestly, I don't even know myself."
The actual reason, or anything like it.
Lee Si-hoo doesn't know either.
That's why it's awkward to explain. What kind of preposterous reason could there be? Raising a girl as a boy. All she knows, piecing together various circumstances, is that this is an extremely important secret.
Revealing it for no good reason would do nobody any good, and in fact it might put Geun-cheol in danger.
'Why, though. Why does he keep asking that?'
She was curious why Geun-cheol kept trying to learn her secret.
'When he spends every day hanging out with Leona and Yu-ri.'
She just couldn't read him at all.
"..."
Vacation's almost over, huh.
Vacation was nearly finished. Which, put another way, meant it was still vacation. It meant there was still time.
'Well, honestly, I was finding it harder to put up with, too.'
A life of mechanically disguising herself as a man without knowing the real reason. Normally she'd have just gone along with it, but after meeting her friends, she'd changed a lot. Lee Si-hoo felt a profound question well up inside her: Why did she have to do this?
So.
She decided to go straight back to the family home.
'This time I'm getting some real answers. As a human being, being jerked around by family orders without knowing a single thing—I can't take it anymore.'
If she learned the reason, she'd be willing to tell Geun-cheol about it. Thinking that, Lee Si-hoo bought a ticket for the train home and hurried to the station.