Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 66. A Proper Vacation
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"...Are you dating?"
"...Yeah."
No wonder there was such a fuss ever since they saw us in the engine room.
I recall right after the incident ended.
I think back to their reactions when they first spotted me and Jang Chaeyeon.
Song Arin sighing while rubbing her forehead, and Yoo Daon with her eyes wide open.
We'd gone to the infirmary very diligently and come out wrapped in bandages and splints.
"...For now, I've handled everyone's memories except for the Management Bureau people."
"You can do that?"
"I nearly died doing it."
In my room, Song Arin growled at me before letting out a deep sigh and sitting on the bed.
"Most of them will think they just had a fun time partying or drank so much they got amnesia. Of course, this is just temporary, so the Management Bureau will take additional measures when we disembark."
"What? You've been in touch with the Management Bureau?"
"Nah, but they'll notice the accident happened anyway."
Song Arin sighed as she looked at me and explained the situation.
When the incident was resolved, surprisingly, the changes in people's bodies had all vanished.
The ones who were completely transformed didn't come back, and the Management Bureau staff on board had apparently worked together to 'handle' them.
Even fiddling with those minor memories had fallen to Song Arin, while the others were busy assisting her.
While Jang Chaeyeon and I were groaning and recovering from our injuries, they'd worked hard, and as a result...
...
...
Silence stretched between us.
I stared straight at Yoo Daon.
Her jet-black hair fluttered in the wind, and her eyes, which should have sparkled in the sunlight, held unreadable emotions as she looked away from me. Her hands fidgeted anxiously, fingers interlaced over her solar plexus.
It'd be nice if I could read people's emotions with my eyes right now.
It's perfect for strangers, but the more I get to know someone, the less useful my eyes become.
In the brief silence, Yoo Daon glanced at me cautiously, and I confirmed she was doing the same before opening my mouth to answer.
"No, we're not."
"You're not?"
"Yeah."
Yoo Daon rolled her eyes at my words.
She opened and closed her mouth several times before nodding.
"...Okay. Got it."
"We've been too busy just surviving today and tomorrow. Where would I find time to date?"
Honestly, it's not wrong.
Even here, someone came for romance and ended up turning into a fish. It could actually happen.
"Then... just the one?"
"Huh?"
I asked back at Yoo Daon's tiny mumble, but she flinched slightly and shook her head with a smile.
"Right. How's your body?"
Such a sudden topic change.
"It's fine."
"You're really okay?"
"Yeah."
"Both you and the others are slow to heal, so I'm always worried."
"...Having wounds heal quickly is a bit enviable."
Of course, considering the pain she's gone through, it's not something to say lightly, but I couldn't exactly tell her, "Oof, you're cursed."
"...It's not like that."
Yoo Daon replied to me in a calm voice.
I'd heard a voice like this before.
Before going into that XX room, when she said she was happy.
My gaze drifted to her involuntarily, and she was smiling as if nothing had happened.
"Can I ask you just one thing, Jaeheon?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Are you... having fun right now, Jaeheon?"
"Having fun...?"
Of course not.
My finger got cut off on the cruise, my arm got injured— who'd call that fun?
But the 'fun' Yoo Daon meant probably wasn't just about the current situation.
I pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah, it's fun. I guess."
Getting caught up in incidents isn't fun, but having trivial chats with someone, or sometimes opening up honestly.
Maybe that's what fun is.
"Right! That's the Jaeheon I know!"
"...Huh?"
Yoo Daon smiled as she replied.
It looked no different from her usual bright smile, but the moment I sensed an inexplicable emotion in that smile, feeling a sense of unease—
"What are you doing?"
A nonchalant voice came from behind, and I turned around.
Song Arin was approaching with her purple bangs swept back carelessly, hands in her pockets.
"Talking."
"What are you talking about to make the kid look so glum."
"Glum?"
She was just smiling.
I glanced at Yoo Daon for a moment.
She was beaming as always.
"...Never mind."
Song Arin sighed at the sight of Yoo Daon and leaned her arms on the railing, gazing out at the sea.
Then Yoo Daon clapped her hands and looked at us both.
"I'll head to the restaurant since I feel like I'm making you both uncomfortable!"
"You don't have to—"
"No! I'm going!"
With that, Yoo Daon scurried off.
Song Arin clicked her tongue with a displeased expression as she watched, then turned, draped her arms over the railing, and looked at me.
"Are you okay?"
"What did I do? We just went to the engine room with her and nearly died."
"What happened?"
"We ran like hell and got swallowed by seawater. Did we look like we could fight? It happened in the blink of an eye."
"Still, surviving is something."
Song Arin narrowed her eyes at me.
"Was that supposed to be comfort?"
"Good work."
"If you get it, go get food."
Song Arin waved her hand, then glanced at my left arm.
"How's that doing?"
"Arm hurts, fingers hurt."
"Of course they do. ...It was broken so cleanly, you didn't do it, right?"
"Chaeyeon did."
"...Yeah, she's neat with brute force."
"Annoying bitch," Song Arin muttered under her breath.
Come to think of it,
"Song Arin."
"What."
"What's your relationship with Chaeyeon?"
...
Song Arin shut her mouth.
"You don't have to say if you don't want to."
"I don't want to... but now you make it sound like I have to."
Song Arin looked up at the sky and sighed.
Sunlight poured down on the clear blue sky, illuminating her hair brightly, and after hesitating a few times, she spoke.
"Former colleague."
"That's all?"
"If that was it, I'd treat her like a friend."
...
"There was a bad incident."
"I see."
"You're not gonna ask?"
"Feels like invading privacy if I do."
"Then you shouldn't have asked in the first place."
A sharp pain stabbed my temple.
...
"Kidding. She's immune to hypnosis anyway."
Song Arin chuckled, waved her hand, and stood up.
Oh, right. Why did I fall for that song?
"I wanted to ask you something."
"Not about me, right?"
"No. Actually..."
I told her about falling for the song, and her expression grew serious as she listened.
"...Yeah, it's weird. If it was definitely a mental attack, you should've been fine."
"Exactly."
"...Nothing comes to mind right now. But I'll ask the old man and look into what happened around you."
"Thanks."
She raised one hand dismissively at my thanks.
"I'm giving you this gift since hypnosis doesn't work on you."
"What does that mean?"
Song Arin, who had been staring at the sky, looked at me steadily.
After a brief exchange of glances, she chuckled and shook her head.
"Don't know, don't ask."
"Do all the HR Team women have riddles as a hobby?"
"The white hair must be a guy thing~"
Song Arin waved and started down the stairs.
"See you at dinner."
"Where you going?"
"Theater, then restaurant."
"Find anything?"
"Nope, so I'm going."
As her figure rounded the corner and was about to disappear,
White hair flashed brightly as it passed her, and the two walked by without a word.
Jang Chaeyeon was heading toward me.
"...You okay?"
"No, is the deck a meeting spot or what?"
She tilted her head curiously, then pointed at my arm again.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. You, Chaeyeon?"
"I was lying down until just now."
"Stamina recovered a bit?"
"Sturdy now."
She nodded and raised both her arms.
"Still, glad you weren't hurt."
"Thanks to you."
She looked at me.
"Me?"
"Good judgment."
"Well..."
I see more than others, so I think faster, but I didn't say it out loud.
"And decisive too."
"...No, why are you embarrassing me like this."
"I'm serious."
Jang Chaeyeon stared at me intently, arms crossed over her chest, naturally drawing my gaze there.
Carrying that on my back while running, and I didn't think a thing.
"Thanks to you, we all survived in one piece. If it was just the Containment Team, we'd all be dead."
"Don't jinx it."
Or we'd get dragged off by the Containment Team.
As I waved it off, she smiled softly at me.
"Honestly, being around you causes accidents."
...
Yeah. I had no rebuttal for that.
"But."
Jang Chaeyeon smiled with her eyes.
"I think that's fine too."
With that, she turned away.
"Where you going?"
"To eat."
"Oh."
"Wanna come?"
"...Yeah, sure. Let's go."
I walked beside Jang Chaeyeon.
Yoo Daon and Song Arin were at the restaurant, and we sat next to them, eating and chatting.
In conclusion, it started off pretty ragged, but it was a cruise with a good aftertaste.
*
As soon as we disembarked, everyone except the Management Bureau people was immediately hauled off under the pretext of infectious disease checks.
The sunglasses old man didn't seek us out, and surprisingly, no one paid us much attention.
The next day, greeting us pleasantly at work was Team Leader sprawled on a mysteriously appeared sofa, playing mobile games.
"...Not working?"
"You guys went and had fun, why should I work?"
"...Come on, Team Leader..."
"Hey, don't talk to me."
"Team Leader... we really suffered a lot..."
It took a full day to soothe the sulky Team Leader.
As the sweltering summer approached, the radio Team Leader always listened to played an ad.
[A new theme park opens in Gangbuk! Soraland is opening! Fun for all ages—]
Soraland, never heard of it. Maybe go with everyone including Team Leader.
No, maybe I shouldn't. Feels like an accident would happen if I go.
That said, Team Leader had apparently already finished all the paperwork.