Chapter 98: A Life-or-Death Push and Pull-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 98: A Life-or-Death Push and Pull-1
"Garam, don't talk about dying so casually. I really dislike that."
I cut her off firmly, giving her a clear warning.
"Then please help me so it doesn't come to that."
Though her voice was somewhat passive, she didn't back down.
"Sigh..."
I scratched my head, feeling a surge of frustration rising from my dantian. My fingernails, which I hadn't had a chance to trim, made my scalp sting rather than feel refreshed.
"Haaa... Anyway, you handle the center remodeling and send me the estimate. Just let me know when it’s time to pay."
"Thank you!"
Garam gave me a deep, ninety-degree bow.
Looking at her like this, she seemed like the usual Garam, but the side of her she’d been showing lately felt a bit foreign. Once the general situation was sorted out, we just stood there, staring blankly at each other with nothing left to say.
Garam seemed to be in a great mood for some reason; she tilted her head while looking at me and beamed with a wide smile. When I stared back with a blunt expression, her grin widened, and she rested her chin on her interlaced fingers on the desk.
"Sooo... what should we do now?"
"First, how about we clean up a bit? It’s too much of a disaster to leave like this."
At the very least, the shattered glass needed to be cleared away.
"And after that? Do you have... any plans?"
What should we do for fun? What should we do for fun?
That was the exact look she was giving me.
"I don't. I'll probably just go home and rest. Working out is out of the question today."
When I pointed around the room as if to say, Just look at this place, she scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
"Hehe... but it’s not like the center is the only place we can exercise, right?"
Is she trying to pull one over on me?
"You want to go out? Like to a park?"
"Going out is good. Indoor sports are fine, too. Like bowling. There are plenty of exercises we can do while having fun."
"Personally, I think climbing is fun, but for the President, it might be a bit..." She trailed off.
I was going to pass on climbing, too.
"Will we even have time for that? We have to clean up, eat lunch, and look for a remodeling company..."
"I'll take care of the company on my own. It takes time to select the right one anyway."
When I voiced my doubts, she waved her hands dismissively, then dashed off to grab a broom and a dustpan.
"Now! Shall we clean? D—President, you can just rest. I can do it all by myself."
She rotated her arms in big circles, showing off her health and vitality. She should probably worry about getting rid of those dark circles under her eyes first.
"Fine. I'll just tidy up the simple things."
Since you're the one who smashed most of it. I swallowed the rest of the sentence.
The cleaning ended much sooner than expected. Garam was apparently a master of cleaning; she swung the broom with invisible speed and even brought out a mop to make the floor sparkle. I was actually slower just clearing the papers scattered across the desk.
After the cleaning was finished, she narrowed down a list of remodeling companies under my supervision—mostly because I was worried.
—I could have done this alone.
She pouted the entire time we looked for a company, clearly displeased about something. Still, one thing that surprised me was how proficient she was at this kind of work, despite how clumsy I’d always thought she was. I took a moment to reflect on whether I had been underestimating her too much.
After that, we decided to have an early lunch. Garam insisted that since she’d had a high-calorie breakfast, she had to stick to her diet for lunch.
So, we chose a salad cafe.
As I forced the tasteless green weeds into my mouth, I made a silent vow to order fried chicken for dinner tonight. Honestly, I had planned to relax and eat something delicious at the hotel; surely this much of a reward was justified.
"Mmm... this place is good."
Unaware of my inner turmoil, Garam munched on her chicken breast and offered her critique. She seemed exceptionally happy today, likely because I was by her side.
Please, I just hoped she wouldn't get more obsessed than she already was.
Looking at the patterns so far, it seemed like a direct rejection was what flipped her switch. I wondered if it would be better to express my refusal through non-verbal cues as much as possible.
"Aren't you eating?"
As I stared at her with unfocused eyes, Garam tilted her head and asked.
"I'm eating."
I replied, chewing on a piece of bitter chicory. Life was truly bitter.
*
After stowing away that flavorless salad in my stomach, we headed to a nearby bowling alley. Perhaps because of the hour, the place was empty except for a few enthusiastic members of a bowling club.
We were guided to the lane at the very end. Whether it was the owner's consideration or not, our spot was a good distance away from the club members.
"Bowling is great exercise. Though, of course, the fun aspect is stronger. Oh, you've bowled before, right?" Garam asked, picking up a 14-pound ball.
"Yeah. But not often."
Bowling. I’d only ever thrown a few balls during company outings.
"It's okay. You just have to throw it straight. What weight are you going to use?"
"Maybe... a 12?"
If I threw a 13 or 14, my arm would probably kill me the next day.
"Then I'll go first," Garam said, already having changed into her bowling shoes by the time I brought over my heavy 12-pound ball.
"Alright~ here I go."
Garam took her stance, stepped forward slowly, and pulled her arm back.
—Whoosh!
She swung her arm forward and hurled the ball.
Yes, she didn't roll it; she hurled it.
—BOOM!! Rumble, rumble, CRASH!
The bowling pins flew everywhere. Pins that were clearly on the right side went flying to the left. At the sound of the explosion, the club members in the distance all turned to look our way.
After a brief tally, an 'X' appeared on the screen.
"Oh yeah! Strike!"
Hopping up and down with a radiant smile, she held her hand out to me.
"??"
"It's a strike! High five!"
"Huh? Oh... right. High five."
With a dazed expression, I held out my hand, and she slapped it with a loud smack!
"See? Bowling is easy."
...Will I ever truly be able to physically escape this woman?
The very foundation of my plan was shaking.