How to Rest (9)
How to Rest (9)
If Lee Si-woon had possessed even a shred of his usual composure, the situation would have unfolded a little differently.
But whether it stemmed from the chaos of being on the run for days, or because he had actually seen the tactical team deployed by Monolith,
Lee Si-woon didn't sense anything strange in the Chairman's words.
"Really, no more, no less. Exactly six hours. Just give me six hours and I'll come back on my own."
At that, the Chairman asked, sounding puzzled.
[...So you weren't kidnapped?]
"Kidnapped?"
When a completely unexpected word came out of the Chairman's mouth, Lee Si-woon tilted his head.
But unlike Lee Si-woon, the Chairman instantly grasped the situation.
[...Nah, anyway, you said six hours.]
"Yes, exactly six hours."
The Chairman acted relaxed toward Lee Si-woon, as if 'that had been the plan all along.'
[Alright, just six hours. No more than that.]
In the end, the Chairman was also just a woman who wanted 'Lee Si-woon to return quickly.'
If he had noticed these facts, Lee Si-woon would have hit the floor in deep regret.
But unfortunately.
"Thank you, thank you!"
He didn't know about the grave he had dug for himself.
It was the end of his vacation.
28. Method of Rest (9)
...Still, six hours was something.
In a situation where a Monolith tactical team might have flown in at any moment, having secured even six hours was clearly a 'favorable development.'
For now, the very first thing I did was call the vice-chairman's secretary again.
Honestly, there were ways to spend six hours here, but that would be a choice an amateur would make.
"...So you're saying you'll be going back."
"Yes."
Why was I already heading back when I'd only just arrived? The secretary's gaze held that question.
I bowed my head and apologized to the secretary.
Honestly, it was a situation that warranted an apology.
"Anyway, I'm sorry about this."
The secretary, who was definitely cursing me out internally, calmly maintained a poker face and answered.
"No, it's fine."
"Since I'm here, I should at least see Vice-chairman-nim's face before I go... but something really came up all of a sudden."
"It's truly fine. William-nim will 'sincerely' understand."
Somehow, it sounded like my leaving was good news for the vice-chairman too.
As if that could be the case.
Anyway, returning was urgent right now.
I couldn't call a taxi into the interior of the amusement park either.
Every minute and every second was precious.
The secretary, after briefly manipulating her vision interface, spoke to me again.
"I've received word from William-nim. He says to tell you it's fine."
"That's a relief."
"And one more thing, he says to escort you, the guest, to your desired destination via aerial vehicle."
Honestly, I couldn't accept that much help.
I waved my hand and declined.
"No, that much is fi─."
The secretary continued with firm resolve.
"It is a request from William-nim. He asked to see you off 'as quickly as possible.' Please, do not refuse."
"...Then I'll take you up on that."
...Excessive refusal would be rude, I suppose.
I nodded while rationalizing it to myself like that.
* * *
Where should I spend these precious six hours? Where would word spread that I spent my time well?
I considered renting a place like a hotel near my house, but in this cyberpunk world, the concept of hourly lodging didn't exist.
Since you could only rent a room by the day, I ruled out that option.
No matter how overflowing with credits I was from Koozaka's reward, my inner petit-bourgeois nature wouldn't allow it.
The place I chose, after all that deliberation, was this:
[6-hour fee calculation is complete. The room number provided to the guest is 'C-3'.]
A 'fusion café' located in 'Center Plaza.'
It was also categorized as something like a private café.
To explain simply, it was a café that felt like a mix between a 'book café' and a 'room café.'
It was designed like a capsule hotel, so you could laze around out of sight of people, and it also sold things like food and drinks.
In other words, it was the perfect place for me to rest for a short while and then head out.
Soon, a module chip dropped down from below the kiosk.
[Please retrieve the 'Data Module Chip'. A surcharge of up to 30 times may be demanded for loss or damage, and forced eviction measures may be taken if electronic duplication is detected.]
It being a book café didn't mean there were paper books.
Just by connecting the data module chip, I could enjoy various novels, comics, and movies that I hadn't paid for individually.
Since I could view everything through my vision interface anyway, no special device was needed.
In my case, I had a data module port installed on my forearm. With a familiar motion, I inserted the data module chip into the port.
Subsequently, a new icon appeared on my vision interface.
It was the icon shape drawn on the signboard.
If I ran it, I could probably enjoy a huge amount of content.
I stepped back.
"There, you just pay like this."
I yielded the kiosk spot to Eve.
Like almost all private cafés, the rooms provided were on the narrow side. I hadn't said it felt like a capsule hotel for nothing.
The Confucian scholar-official inside me was shouting 'men and women shouldn't sit together after age seven,' and besides, I really wanted to laze around alone for these hours. So I had no intention of sharing a room with Eve.
This was something I had told Eve in advance.
Fortunately, Eve didn't refuse and agreed.
Come to think of it, entering a private café as a pair was the kind of thing only couples would do anyway.
The ordered food and drinks were delivered quickly.
With my arms full of snacks, I spoke to Eve.
"I'll head in first, so see you later."
"Understood."
Well then, shall I head in?
It was C-3, wasn't it.
Was the soundproofing good here?
Even in the hallway, I couldn't hear anyone nearby. Or maybe there simply was no one else.
I thought a cyberpunk fusion café might be something different, but it just looked like a plain capsule hotel.
Here it was.
I checked the letters C-3 on the door and went inside.
Four people could lie down in here.
Aside from the low ceiling, the interior was surprisingly spacious.
"Eeyaa."
I let out a groan that would come quite naturally from an older person as I crawled inside.
The place was plush.
Perhaps because people sleep here, a pillow was provided on one side too.
I twisted my body this way and that, seeking the most comfortable position.
For the next six hours, I resolved that, absolutely and unconditionally, no matter what happened, I would not budge from here.
Now then.
Should I read a novel, read a comic, watch a movie?
"......."
First, before that, the bathroom.
If I had to get up midway, the flow would break. If I'd known this, I should've stopped by the bathroom before coming in.
I crawled out again, bit by bit, and pushed the capsule-style room door wide open.
And I was startled.
"?"
Eve was standing there.
What the...? Why wasn't she in her room, just standing around like this.
"...Eve?"
"Yes."
I calmed my startled heart and asked.
"What are you doing here?"
"There were no remaining rooms, so I was waiting."
Ah.
"Then you should've said something."
"No."
What do you mean, 'no'?
If I hadn't come out to go to the bathroom, Eve would've been standing outside for the full six hours.
Even if I said I wanted to rest alone.
This was too much.
Eve bowed her head slightly and said.
"It's fine."
"I'm not fine."
I let out a light sigh and continued.
"...I'm just going to the bathroom for a bit, so go into my room first. It's really okay, don't worry about it."
Making someone who came with me stand outside alone wasn't the right way to treat a person.
After sending Eve into the room like that, I headed for the bathroom.
"......."
But.
When I was paying at the kiosk, it definitely looked like there were empty rooms.
.......
Hmm.
Must've been my imagination.
I didn't give it much thought.
* * *
I described the room as being spacious enough for four people to lie down, but that didn't mean it wasn't narrow.
When I reached out to grab a snack, my body bumped against Eve's shoulder.
Conversely, when Eve shifted her body once, an exceptionally voluptuous part of a certain physical form touched my body.
(I won't elaborate on where exactly.)
I checked the time on my vision interface.
I expected about an hour to have passed.
Forget an hour, it hadn't even been 30 minutes.
It seemed to be true that the flow of time changes depending on the space.
When I was lazing around by myself, time flew by quickly, but with two of us lazing around, time felt like it was passing at half the speed.
Of course, it could've just been that I was tense.
"......."
The surroundings were filled with silence.
Even the soft sound of breathing in felt loud.
I slightly rolled my eyes while lying on my back looking up at the ceiling. I looked at Eve.
Eve was lying turned toward my side.
Perhaps Eve had been looking at me too, because our eyes met simultaneously.
Eve's arm lightly touched my shoulder.
There, I sensed something like a strange omen.
No matter how narrow this room was, it wasn't so tight that two people had to stick together.
I was even pressed up against the wall. It was clear Eve had definitely moved closer to me.
I carefully called out to Eve.
"...Eve?"
"Why do you ask."
Just, because you seemed way too close.
But the atmosphere wasn't right to say that.
Somehow, the air felt heavy.
Without betraying that feeling, I smiled and continued talking.
"...Uh, just, thank you."
"......."
At my sudden thanks, Eve fell silent.
Honestly, the timing was way too strange. Since I knew that too, I added various explanations to try and change the mood.
"No, for helping me run away from home, and all. Honestly, if I just hadn't slipped up, we wouldn't have been caught, and I'm sorry about that too."
When we were in Redwood, if I had only paid attention to the auto-login, the situation would've been a little different.
I would still be lazing around there, enjoying an exciting vacation.
Feeling sorry toward Eve was sincere.
Then.
Eve opened her mouth.
"Then may I receive one form of compensation?"
"...Compensation?"
I had a feeling of déjà vu here.
Yeah, I'd heard this from Eve before.
The compensation Eve had asked for back then was to hug me tight─.
And I stopped thinking.
Before I knew it, Eve's face had moved right up to the tip of my nose—literally right in front of my nose.
Long eyelashes, fair, jade-like skin, white eyes.
It was my first time seeing her this close.
Eve's bangs descended following gravity, down to my face.
My mind went white.
At the same time, my breath caught.
It was completely unexpected timing, so I couldn't hide my fluster.
One second, ten seconds, one minute.
How much time had passed? I didn't know.
Eventually.
Eve slowly pulled away from my face.
"Hormonal actions such as phenylethylamine and oxytocin are confirmed in this prosthetic body."
What the.
I slowly grasped the situation.
But whether I did or not, Eve continued at her own pace.
"As there is no changing room here, I will stop at that. This is sufficient compensation."
Eve said, glancing at the shopping bag.
I reflexively gulped.
I don't know if it was because of the lemon iced tea Eve drank earlier, but a strong taste of lemon lingered in my mouth.
Just what the hell was this.
My head was spinning.