Chapter 307
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 307
Chapter Title: Uri
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Outside the center, the warm sun shone down. Perhaps because of Kate's earlier explanation, the sunlight didn't feel merely warm.
Seojun, shielding his eyes from the dazzling glare with his hand, marveled at the blue sea stretching out before him. Kate spoke with a proud expression.
“This is Sea Save's pride and joy, the Oceanarium. The Oceanarium is a place created for marine animals accustomed to small tanks to acclimate to a larger space and colder water. Here, they undergo training to adapt to the ocean before being released. Some of the larger ones stay here as well.”
Listening to Kate's explanation, Seojun looked at the Oceanarium.
Connected to the sea, the Oceanarium was divided by a central, fixed white path on the vast ocean and numerous movable paths. A few Sea Save team members were scattered along them.
“It looks just like tree branches.”
The central white path was like a straight tree trunk, and the brown paths connected to it resembled branches extending from the trunk. And where the branches met, they created multiple enclosures.
“In each of those enclosed spaces, there are marine animals waiting to be released back into the ocean.”
Just then, from one of those sea enclosures, a dolphin leaped into the air. Droplets of water caught the light and sparkled. Gasps of admiration erupted not only from Seojun but from the production crew as well.
The dolphin soared so high it drew gasps of admiration, a testament to its excellent health.
“Those brown paths are movable. It's so we can create appropriately sized spaces for each animal. But when the number of animals we're caring for increases, it's not always possible. Shall we get a closer look?”
Kate handed Seojun a life jacket. The crew members also began to put on their life jackets one by one. Seojun, tightening the belt of his jacket, asked.
“Why do we need life jackets?”
“Since the path is right next to the sea, there's a risk of accidentally falling in, and sometimes the more playful ones might grab and pull on your clothes with their mouths.”
Ah.
Seojun and the crew nodded at Kate's words, securely fastening the belts of their life jackets and tucking in any loose clothing.
Kate smiled faintly at the sight and led Seojun to the area closest to the Oceanarium's entrance.
There, a Sea Save team member was tossing live, wriggling fish into the air. A sleek dolphin, letting out a sharp `peee-` sound, leaped from the water to catch its meal.
The team member greeted Seojun and introduced the dolphin with a smile.
“His name is Loki. He washed up on the coast with a severe fin injury. He's all healed up and strong now.”
Curious about the new people, the dolphin, Loki, approached Seojun and the crew.
After swimming back and forth in front of them for a moment, Loki cried `peee-` and slapped the surface with its tail. The resulting splash soaked Seojun and the crew. Loki, with his mouth wide open as he watched the lightly drenched Seojun and the others, looked like a little kid clutching his stomach in laughter.
The handler, who was closest to Loki and had gotten soaked, expertly tossed a wriggling fish in the other direction to divert Loki's attention.
“He's the biggest prankster at our center.”
Loki's handler seemed to have an air of resignation about him.
The dolphin certainly looked like a prankster. Seojun burst out laughing and asked.
“When will Loki return to the sea?”
“It'll probably be around the same time as the baby humpback whale you rescued, Jun.”
The dolphin, Loki, whose return to the sea was not far off, cried `peeeee-` and leaped into the air. His vigorous display brought a smile to everyone's face.
“The baby humpback whale is staying right next to Loki.”
Kate pointed to the enclosure right next to Loki's.
The area, surrounded by brown paths, was larger than Loki's.
“Just as you said, Jun, it had an injury on its belly, which we've treated. Once it's healed enough and has regained its strength, we'll release it back into the ocean. We're estimating about four days.”
At Kate’s words, Seojun scratched his cheek. He had mentioned the whale's injury thinking he would never see it again, but he hadn't expected to meet it like this.
The PD's eyes sparkled.
Since they had been filming Kate and the Sea Save team members from the moment they got off the boat, they hadn't gotten any good shots of Seojun. They needed some special information about Seojun from that time—something that hadn't been uploaded to N-tube—and this was perfect.
The PD, who had been filming quietly until now, spoke up.
“Did you say it had an injury on its belly, Jun?”
“Well…”
Seojun said with an awkward smile.
“When I first found the whale and was splashing it with water, I noticed a slightly awkward movement.”
“Still, that's hard for a layperson to spot. Jun, have you always been interested in whales?”
Seojun nodded at Kate’s question.
“I recently saw a giant whale in a dream.”
*It wasn't a dream, but a past life.*
It had been a book from the Advanced Library, containing the entire life of a whale.
It had lived a very long time, so the book was just as thick. As he kept reading about the whale's life, he became curious about real whales.
“I was curious what kind of whale it was, so I looked it up in books and on N-tube. That's how I learned a bit about them. But seeing one in person, I couldn't really tell them apart.”
“It might be because it was a baby. What kind of whale was the one you saw in your dream?”
“I think it looked similar to a blue whale.”
Seojun and Kate's conversation about the whale in his dream paused.
The back of the baby humpback whale he had rescued appeared above the water's surface. Soon, a V-shaped spout of water erupted from the blowhole on its back.
“It seems to have come up for air. Humpback whales have two blowholes, so their spouts come out in two streams like that.”
After letting out a refreshing spray, the baby humpback whale peeked its head above the water. Seeing the whale so full of life, Seojun smiled warmly. It was a world away from the limp creature he had seen on the sand, a place where it clearly didn't belong.
The baby humpback whale, which seemed to be looking around, froze when it spotted the people. For some reason, everyone present thought the baby humpback whale's eyes had widened in a look of surprise.
The seemingly startled baby humpback whale swam right up to where the people were standing. Seojun was among them. The whale's left eye was fixed on Seojun.
“Amazing. It's like it knows Jun is the one who saved it.”
“I know, right?”
The other crew members nodded in agreement at the hushed exchange.
*It must be the effect of the Seongi.*
Seojun bent his knees to meet the baby humpback whale's gaze. After a moment, he looked up at Kate.
“May I touch it?”
“Of course.”
Seojun's hand reached out to the baby humpback whale.
The PD waved his hand, and the staff members stepped back. Kate also moved out of the camera's frame.
The baby humpback whale and the superstar, reunited.
A radiant aura seemed to flow from both the baby humpback whale and the superstar.
[Activating the (Benevolent) Village Healer's White Serpent's Eyes.]
After checking the baby humpback whale's condition, Seojun said with a smile.
“That's a relief. You look healthy.”
As if it understood his words, as if it sensed the Seongi Seojun was emitting, the baby humpback whale began to sing, `Woooooong!`
It once again felt that singular warmth that had kept its lungs from collapsing, that had kept its heart from stopping, that had helped it endure that difficult time.
“It seems to like you, Jun. Humpback whales are creatures that love to sing, so they make sounds like this when they're in a good mood.”
The image of the superstar, seemingly communing with the baby humpback whale, was captured perfectly on camera.
`Woooooong! Woong!`
The baby humpback whale's song continued for a long time. Seojun and the others, who had never heard a whale's cry from so close, listened intently.
Seojun stood up and said with a smile.
“To be singing like this, it must have recovered a lot.”
“This one is special. It recovered faster than most animals we rescue from the shore.”
It was surely thanks to the Seongi Seojun had sent its way.
`Woooooong! Woong!`
The baby humpback whale cried out. It felt different from before, and the staff tilted their heads. The cry sounded like it was complaining to Seojun for standing up.
Both Kate and Seojun noticed and couldn't help but laugh. Hearing the humpback's cry, the dolphin, Loki, peeked its head out from the adjacent enclosure.
“Jun, would you like to give it a name?”
“A name?”
“We wouldn't have been able to save it without you.”
At Kate's words, Seojun fell into thought for a moment.
Looking at the baby humpback whale, still singing its song full of `Woooooong! Woong!` disappointment, Seojun opened his mouth.
“/Uri/”
“'Uri'? Is that Korean?”
“Yes. In English, it means 'We'.”
“Uri…”
URI.
After repeating it a few times, Kate asked.
“Is there a reason you chose that name?”
Seojun smiled and said.
“Because I didn't save that baby humpback whale with my strength alone. We were able to save it because of the people who were there at that time. Not just me, but everyone—'we'.”
“I like that. We. Uri.”
Kate, who felt the affection for the baby humpback whale in the meaningful name, and the PD, who had found another topic of conversation, both beamed.
***
After leaving the baby humpback whale, Uri, and looking at the other animals in the Oceanarium, Kate and Seojun headed to the basement floor.
“I heard the basement floor is also open to the public. What's down there?”
“Just a moment. It's better if you see it for yourself.”
Kate smiled enigmatically. Seojun tilted his head.
Following Kate down to the basement, Seojun's eyes widened.
Beyond the glass wall was Loki, the dolphin they had seen in the Oceanarium.
Seeing Seojun's surprised expression, Loki opened its snout. It looked as if it were roaring with laughter. It was almost possible to hear the dolphin's high-pitched cry.
“This is…?”
“It's connected to the Oceanarium. The ones in the Oceanarium closer to the center, like Loki and Uri who are just starting to adapt to the sea environment, need a lot of observation. But we can't always suit up and go into the water, and we need to check on them in the evening and at night, too. You can see Uri from here as well.”
Just as Kate said, in the enclosure right next to Loki's, they could see the baby humpback whale, Uri, sulking with its back turned. The sight sent a wave of laughter through the group.
“I never thought I'd be able to read a whale's emotions…”
“I know, right? You can feel it all so clearly.”
Seojun, shoulders shaking with laughter, released his Seongi. Sensing the warm, sparkling aura, Uri turned around. It looked startled to see Seojun beyond the glass wall.
Uri quickly swam to the glass and turned sideways. Its left eye was directed at Seojun.
`Woooooong!`
At Uri's apparent joy, Seojun, Kate, and the crew burst into laughter once more.
***
`Woooooong!`
The cry of the baby humpback whale could be heard.
`Peeeeee!`
The cry of the dolphin could be heard.
Seojun and Kate, who had returned to Uri's area after touring other parts of the basement, blinked and then spoke.
“Kate, doesn't it look like Loki is teasing Uri?”
“It certainly does.”
While Seojun and Kate were away, something had happened. The baby humpback whale, Uri, and the dolphin, Loki, separated by only a thin net, were swimming back and forth as if in a standoff.
Loki seemed completely at ease, while Uri looked like it was fuming, making the crew rub their eyes in disbelief.
A passing Sea Save team member said with a laugh.
“Loki crossed the barrier into Uri's enclosure. It swam back and forth right in front of Uri, who was looking for Jun, getting in the way before slipping back to its own side. Of course Uri would be annoyed.”
“…Really?”
Seojun and the crew's eyes went wide.
They had heard he was a prankster, but they never imagined he would cross into another's territory. While everyone was surprised, the PD silently prayed that the cameras installed in the Oceanarium had caught the scene.
*Ah, right. The enclosures are just boundaries made by humans, so Loki might not know.*
Having lived in the vast ocean, it probably just saw it as a minor obstacle.
“Huh. That little guy is less than half of Uri's size. Where does it get the nerve…”
At a staff member's comment, everyone nodded vigorously.
Kate laughed at their reaction and said.
“It's very rare, but it happens. That's why we have to be careful about how we arrange the enclosures, so they don't clash. I think Loki probably just wanted to play. That's why Uri doesn't seem too angry either.”
Seojun, watching Uri and Loki facing each other across the thin net, crying `Woooooong!` and `Peee-`, wore a worried expression.
“I get that you want to play with Uri… but Loki, one slap from Uri's tail and it's over for you.”
Everyone burst out laughing at Seojun's sincere concern.
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