Chapter 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: There's No Way Anything Would Happen on a Good Day Like This
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lying sprawled on the wide sofa, watching and listening to other people chatter away through this box was a pretty precious experience.
After all, the house I'd lived in ten years ago from my previous life hadn't been all that affluent, so there hadn't even been a sofa to begin with. On top of that, Pretoria had no TVs whatsoever, and even if there were wide sofas, there was never time to sit on them.
So, just lying here blankly watching a broadcast blabbing on about the festival while scratching my belly—this had to be happiness, no doubt about it.
It really made me think once again that the progress of science, which brings tangible happiness, is far superior to useless things like magic or alchemy.
And on top of highly advanced science, the current Earth was also advancing in magic thanks to the emergence of gates. It was paradise, plain and simple.
Plus, I even had the right to mooch off my rich little sister. This was life.
Thanks to that, with all this free time on my hands, I started thinking about checking out that festival. It was an event commemorating the 10th anniversary of Hunter history, after all, so it seemed perfect for shaking off the boredom.
With those thoughts in mind, I got ready to head out. Ah, but do I need to shower? Nah, too much hassle. I'll just splash some water on my head and go.
I threw on some clothes after a quick face wash and stepped out of the house. My first outing without following Sihyun. The sense of liberation from not having to watch my step made me weirdly excited, and I quickly headed down to the first floor.
"Ahem, alright. Time to head out."
I muttered some pointless words to myself as I set off. It was in Yeouido, right? Should be quick to get there. This was Seoul, and that was Seoul too, after all. I strode forward without hesitation. My confident steps would carry me to my destination.
"So, where the hell am I?"
Seoul after ten years felt insanely complicated. I needed to take the subway, but I didn't even know where the station was. There were so many bus types, but not a single one said Yeouido as its destination.
It felt like I'd been wandering for at least an hour, even by rough estimate.
I stared blankly around before asking a passerby for help.
"Excuse me, I'm a bit lost."
- Whoa... what? He's insanely hot. Ah, no. Yes! Go ahead.
"Thanks, you're kind. How do I get to Yeouido? I can't find the subway."
- Oh~ Just go that way! But anyway, could I maybe get your number...?
"That way, got it. You saved me. Thanks."
- Hey! Can't you give me your number?
"Ah, I don't have a phone. See ya."
I waved goodbye to the kind passerby and headed toward where the subway was supposed to be.
- If you don't wanna give it, just say no...
But I really didn't have one. Sihyun forgot and still hadn't gotten me one. Not my fault.
A bit further down, I spotted the subway entrance. How had I not seen it when it was this close? I'd been wandering properly, too.
Thinking back, the roads in Pretoria had been pretty complicated too. No idea why everywhere I went was blocked or led to weird places, but it had taken me over five years to get used to them.
Even until the very end, Seren had guided me most of the time. When she wasn't around, Sio helped. They were all locals, so they knew the way well.
Once I got into the subway, there were no more issues. I glanced at the complicated route map for a second before asking a station attendant for help. When I said I wanted to go to Yeouido but wasn't sure how, they gave me a slightly weird look.
It was obvious they thought I was some weirdo with a decent build but no brains, but I couldn't deny it, so I just quietly followed the guidance. Still, thanks to their outwardly polite directions, I safely arrived in Yeouido.
Yeouido was packed from the subway station onward. Whether it was because the festival was being heavily promoted on TV or if it was famous to begin with, I already felt like coming was the right call from the get-go.
If there were this many people, something amazing had to be going on.
With that thought, I slipped into the crowd. Following them should lead me straight to the festival site. And that judgment was spot on.
The lively cheers and laughter echoing from afar, the buzz that only gathers when people crowd together.
It was the vibrant scene of a festival in full swing.
"Mister~ Gimme some cotton candy. Cotton candy."
The true flower of a festival was the feast of street stalls lining both sides of the path. Not the happy faces of all ages, nor the emcee's shouts hyping up the crowd, nor the sunny weather or fragrant cherry blossoms. No, it had to be these stalls hawking sketchy-looking snacks and simple eats—that was the real reason for festivals, I figured.
So, rather than anything else, I focused on wandering the stalls first.
"Boss, gimme one salted grilled chicken skewer."
Best to grab a bunch of simple snacks. These weren't things you'd go out of your way to eat otherwise. And they tasted even better in moments like this. Gotta seize the chance and sample a good variety.
"Ma'am, one egg bread please. Wait, why's egg bread here?"
It's still around? Do kids these days even know what it is? This stuff's the real deal.
"Mister, that one. I wanna make dalgona. Gimme one."
The flavors from childhood were blooming into memories all over the festival grounds.
At 31 already, I guess I was pretty old. Feeling a touch of wistfulness seeing all that.
"Huh, weird. I'm definitely 21, so why do I feel like an old fogey already...?"
With some inexplicable pang, I muttered to myself and chomped on the Pikachu and sundae skewers in my hands one after another.
Wonder if kids these days even know Pikachu. Damn Pretoria. Stole my youth.
While wandering the festival grounds in a daze with those thoughts, someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder. Without thinking, I finished my sundae skewer and channeled mana into the wooden stick, swinging it behind me.
"Oppa...? What are you doing h... Kyaa!"
Good thing I stopped the instant I heard Sihyun's voice, or it would've pierced her clean through. I halted the skewer right in front of her eyes.
"Ah, sorry. Thought it was an ambush~"
"Hey! You really scared me! Who ambushes in the middle of a festival! You did it on purpose, right?"
But habits carved into the body were hard to shake. I'd been ambushed and betrayed so many times that unless it was someone I truly trusted guarding my back, I stayed on alert. This was Earth, so I'd gone light, at least.
"Me? Do that to my beloved little sis? Hoho."
Still, on the surface, I played the playful big bro and grinned.
"You psycho... I was seriously freaked out. Even if your rank's lower, you're still a hunter—do that carelessly and you'll get arrested... Be careful."
"Nah, come on. You know I wouldn't~ Of course I'm careful. You don't trust me?"
"Yeah..."
Well, can't be helped. A big bro without trust is just sad.
"Anyway, I told you to stay home. Why'd you come here?"
"Well, I was gonna behave, but the second I turned on the TV, the announcer was like, 'Go enjoy the festival!' And you know I can't say no to requests."
"If you didn't talk so much, you wouldn't be so annoying... Oppa, you're really getting on my nerves, you know?"
Seemed like acting playful was the way to close the distance quick.
"Everything I do and say is for your sake, yet you don't understand this big bro's heart... How tragic. Hoho."
"You're such a drama queen..."
Her words already felt way more casual with me. The way she naturally slipped in swears. Wait, maybe too natural.
"Can't hold back with your big bro, huh? I'm hurt?"
"Sigh... So, having fun at the festival? Looks like it with your hands full of snacks."
"Hmm~ It's alright. The food's nostalgic. Want one? Got three more Pikachus."
I pulled one out of the bag and handed it over. Sihyun stared in bewilderment before taking it and popping it in her mouth.
"Moments like this make you feel so old. It's weird."
"Yeah, 28."
"Yeah, 31. I win."
"Not playing with you."
"Ahaha~ But stuff like this shows you're still a kid. Oppa, got nothing else to do? Come hang with me~ I was on patrol."
"Sure~?"
I happily accepted Sihyun's offer. Wandering alone wasn't great despite no real plans, and I still felt the need to stick close. We were bonding fast, but she still seemed awkward at times.
And so we toured the festival together. Kept stuffing our bellies too. No matter how much I ate, my stomach never felt full anymore, so I just ate whenever I wanted.
"Buy me a salted grilled chicken skewer."
"Gave you the card."
"Still tastes better when someone else buys it. And get a phone instead of the card. Got your number hit on earlier, but no phone to call."
"You got hit on for your number? No way... Actually, yeah, I can see it... Pointlessly."
Pointless? That hurts. I'm human too, you know.
We munched on skewers as we tried out the various games set up around. From classic ones I'd always enjoyed to new types I'd never seen, following Sihyun as we gave them a go.
"Oppa, how do you miss every single one! Where's my panda plush!"
"Now, now, foolish little sis. That panda wasn't anyone's to begin with... Such greed."
"You...! You shit-talking psycho! How's a house husband this bad at games!"
Now, now, what a foul-mouthed kid. The epitome of a modern office worker.
We enjoyed the festival until sunset turned to dusk. Well, patrol was the main goal, but we had fun anyway.
There's no way anything would happen on a good day like this.
"Sihyun, they open gates for the Hunter 10th anniversary festival? Whoa, intense."
"What? Shit. No way! Oppa, follow me quick!"
I got dragged toward the gate by Sihyun's urgent grip.
Even though I'm not an Association employee.