Chapter 97: The Swamp-5
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 97: The Swamp-5
I grab the water glass.
The force of my grip ripples the calm surface, sending water spilling over my hand.
Just as she had done, I lift the cup and gulp the water down.
The chill of the cold water slides down my throat, clearing a mind that had been muddled all morning.
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, look her straight in the eye, and speak firmly.
"Absolutely not."
"Why?"
"I’m not your father, and I’m not at an age where I should be hearing a grown woman call me 'Dad.' More importantly..." I pause. "Why on earth would you be my daughter, Ms. Garam?"
"It’s not like I’m asking you to be my legal father," she muttered discontentedly, tapping her index fingers together.
"Still, no. To be honest, the title 'Dad' is a burden. I’d rather you just call me 'Mister.'"
"But 'Mister' sounds so distant..."
"Don't you think that distance is exactly what we need?"
I put weight behind my words, speaking with more force.
In my eyes, she remains someone pitiable and unstable—someone I want to look after and comfort. I am also well aware that my own actions are what triggered her obsession.
That obsession is only just beginning to sprout.
That is why I intend to draw a clear line from the very start.
She can be obsessed if she wants. She can lean on me quite a bit.
However, I need her to respect the line I’ve drawn. If she crosses it, our relationship will be ruined.
Imprinting this message on her is my responsibility.
Whether I can actually control her or not is a calculation I haven't finished yet, but I want to at least try.
If I don't even try, I’ll likely meet a similar end in this dimension as I have in all the others.
"...Is it really not allowed?"
As expected, her voice drops an octave, pressing down on me.
I make an effort to ignore her words and turn my attention to the ramen that arrived at just the right moment.
"Enjoy your meal."
I lift a bundle of noodles and blow on them.
I pull the freshly served, perfectly chewy noodles into my mouth.
Slurp—
With a satisfying sound, the savory flavor of the ramen spreads across my palate. Perhaps it’s because I haven't had it in a while, but it tastes even better than usual.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
After a few bites, I look up at her.
I know she’s upset. I’m asking despite knowing.
I feel that by acting nonchalant like this, I might encourage her to reconsider her stance.
It’s like those cases you see on pet behavior correction programs. If you show fear when a dog displays aggression, it tends to become even more aggressive.
I’ll keep drawing the line like this.
This is the survival method I’ve chosen for this dimension.
Whether it worked or not, Ms. Garam just stares at me while holding her fork and knife.
I give her a brief glance before burying my face back in the ramen bowl. Part of it is to avoid her gaze, but the ramen is also just damn delicious.
Ms. Garam watches me for a few more seconds before she finally begins to eat.
Since neither of us says a word during the meal, I fortunately don't suffer from indigestion.
*
After finishing our meal, we grab coffee to go and head toward Garam Fitness.
I had only heard the gist of it from Ho-cheol, so today was my first time seeing how badly the center had been trashed.
"Ugh..."
The sight is disastrous.
The mirrors covering one entire wall are completely shattered, and I don't know what was thrown at them, but two treadmills are utterly wrecked.
Not a single fluorescent light on the ceiling is intact; when I flip the switch, the flickering glow makes the place look more like an abandoned house.
Documents from the desk are torn and scattered across the floor, and I hadn't expected the broadcasting cameras to be functional in the first place.
It looks like someone fled in the middle of the night.
"Ha..."
A hollow laugh escapes me. The word 'mess' doesn't even begin to cover this.
"Um..."
Just as I am worrying about how to clean this up, Ms. Garam gently grabs my arm.
"Well..."
She hesitates, avoiding my eyes while swaying her body slightly from side to side.
"You're not... mad, are you?"
Her trembling gaze shifts back and forth between my face and the ruined center.
"Why would I be mad? It's not my center."
Your gym is a wreck, so why would I be the one upset?
"Hehe, thank goodness."
My brow furrows slightly at her nonsensical reaction. It’s as if she’s missing a screw.
Be patient. She’s not well.
Careful to avoid the shards of glass and fluorescent tubes, we walk further in. I pull up a couple of chairs, and we sit down to sort things out.
"First, let's take this opportunity to remodel. Ho-cheol already posted a notice saying the gym is closed for renovations, so just send a text to the members."
"Yes."
"I'll cover the remodeling costs for now. This happened because I dragged you into the broadcast."
"Yes."
"I'm not paying for all of it, though. You can pay me back 10% later."
"Yes."
"I don't know much about exercise equipment, so if there are machines you want to replace, make a list of everything."
"Yes."
"Is there a specific place you get gym supplies? Maybe we should use safer mirrors this time. I wonder if they have tempered glass ones?"
"Yes."
"......."
"Ms. Garam."
"Yes?"
She had been repeating the same word like a cheap voice-recording doll, but she looks at me when I call her name.
"What are you doing right now?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
I let out a long sigh and cross my legs. Perhaps because I’ve lost more weight than before, crossing my legs feels a bit easier.
"What are you doing? You're just repeating 'Yes, yes' over and over."
"Oh, that's... because Da... because the President knows better. I'll just do whatever the President wants..."
"Look here, Ms. Choi Garam. This center is your business. I'm just the building owner."
I suppress the harsh words rising to my throat and speak as gentlemanly as possible.
However, the unrefined sting of my rebuke bleeds through, causing her to flinch.
"I-I'm sorry."
When she trembles like that, I can't bring myself to say more. It’s a strange feeling.
I scratch my head vigorously and lay out the reality for her.
"Ms. Garam, I can't stay by your side and help you forever. So please, be more proactive. Honestly, this is a good opportunity. It's a chance to make the center even better. How can you be so passive?"
Like someone coaxing a rebellious teenager, I try to persuade her calmly. I spend a long time explaining just how good this opportunity is for her.
"President."
Of course, I’m not sure if Ms. Garam actually understood a word I said.
She slowly reaches out and places her hand softly on top of mine.
"Don't say things like you can't be by my side, or that you're leaving."
As if remodeling was the furthest thing from her mind, she latches onto something else with sudden intensity.
"If you say things like that... I might just die."
Looking at Ms. Garam—whose expression is a bizarre mix of a smile and a sob—a sudden thought occurs to me.
There is a saying that if you fall into a swamp, you should stay still.
The more you struggle to escape, the deeper you sink.
It was a thought I had when I uploaded the recording of my call with Hana to the internet.
And my dull brain has only just realized that the same rule applies to me right now.