Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Rescuing the Friend of Stars and Whales from the Sea
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"H-Help... I can't swim, sob..."
Isabelle's sobbing words made me glance at the sea, where her dad was completely helpless against the waves kicked up by a passing ship.
On top of that, the massive cruise ship looked like it could collide with him any second.
A razor-thin moment. I had to make a call.
"Dennis!"
"What the..."
Arthur and Herman, who'd followed right behind, were at a loss for words too.
"Damn, this is nuts."
As I rushed to climb over the railing in the emergency, a hand grabbed me from behind.
"Miss, you can't."
"What do you mean, I can't?"
It was the security team leader who'd been tailing me discreetly.
"I just contacted the crew on board. Leave the rest to them."
I peeked over the railing. The pitch-black sea below looked terrifying, and the man on it was visibly losing strength, gulping down water.
"Fuck, why'd they have to build this ship so goddamn huge."
"Miss!"
I shook off the team leader's iron grip and vaulted over the railing in a flash.
💬 Stream Chat — Crazy Bitch Get your ass back in here! — Boss WTF Boss why you doin this — Ga-eul Fan Ga-eul this ain't it come back over It was just one step away, distance-wise. But inside and outside the railing felt like heaven and the hellish screams of those red-vested subway enforcers.
"Come to think of it, why are you guys even here? Oh! You came to save me!"
— Nah We Got Caught Too Nope we got dragged in too — Lmao Boss don't start droppin jokes now lol — Don't Engage Lol Don't give her any attention lmao My habit of clutching the phone mount in my left hand. People yelling at me from behind.
I glanced back. Snowy, perched on Arthur's shoulder, was trying to leap toward me.
"Snowy, stop."
—Hop.
Her ears perked at my voice, but she ignored it and hopped onto my shoulder anyway.
"Our Po-shi-raegi, dangerous."
"Go together."
"No."
"Stay together."
"No."
Uncharacteristically pissed at my firm refusal, Snowy poked my cheek with her tiny paws.
"Team leader, make sure you get good footage."
"...Pardon?"
I handed him the squirming Snowy, who refused to let go, and the phone mount. The team leader looked baffled.
"I'm a streamer. Can't hide doing a good deed."
— Boss Too Far Boss you're goin too far ㅠㅠ get back in it's dangerous — For Real Get back in NOW "Guys, if I die, come to my funeral. I'll play the videos."
— Wtf You actually insane?? — 10 Secs Back in 10 secs = 100k donated pls Isabelle, who'd begged for help, stared at me blankly like she'd lost her soul. Herman, who'd shared smokes with me, and Arthur, the cute-things lover, watched with complicated eyes.
"Come watch. The epic plays of the dearly departed."
— Insane Woman INSANE WOMAN INSANE WOMAN total psycho In the short time since Isabelle's plea, I'd been psyching myself up, mumbling curses.
"Fuck it, let's go!"
Shifting my center of gravity, my body began to drop slowly.
The sharp sea wind, salty, battered my whole body.
As the dot-sized man's outline sharpened from the dizzying height, urgency hit. I kicked off the ship's wall for extra speed.
Falling, I ramped up my combat senses.
That's when it hit me.
"Fuck, I can't swim. Status..."
—SPLASH!!!
Thanks to the speed, water exploded on impact, and I plunged deep into the sea.
Snapping to, I cracked my eyes open underwater. Above, one leg stuck out like a swan's, thrashing wildly, bubbling foam.
Ding! Ding! Ding!...
— Swimming... [Swimming...] Seeing his death-throe flailing, I frantically moved my fingers. My body surged upward fast.
Adapting to the water at breakneck speed, the surface rushed closer. Amid it, the sunlight-reflecting water shimmered beautifully, I thought.
"Pha! Hoo, hoo... Thought I was done for."
I surfaced quick, caught my breath, then swam to the thrashing uncle nearby.
"Hey, here to save ya?"
Suddenly, he grabbed my hair.
"Hey, wanna live? Let go."
"Puhek, h-help, help..."
The guy was in full panic, out of his mind.
Guess that's why they say don't approach drowning people.
As I pondered what to do, cheers echoed from the ship, stinging my ears.
"Calm down, sir!"
—Whack!
I smacked the back of his head hard. His face dunked into the water, bubbles rose, and he went quiet.
"Whew! Problem solved. Hmm..."
I'd smacked him in irritation from the hair-pull, then remembered Isabelle calling him "dad."
"..."
Glancing up, a lifeboat was lowering from the crane, and faces poked over the railing.
"Screwed up."
I hooked my arm around the face-down uncle's neck and waited for the lifeboat.
The people aboard all wore stunned looks.
"Pull us up, please."
"Ah! Y-yes, ma'am."
They hauled the uncle aboard first. I dragged my exhausted body up and flopped down. The absurdly clear sky filled my view.
Rummaging my pocket, a soaked cigarette pack came out.
"Anyone got a smoke to spare?"
A crew member approached at my voice.
"Here you go, miss."
"Oh, thanks."
—Click, flick.
"Ahh... Life."
Biting down on the cig, I exhaled smoke, blurring the sky.
I preferred the hazy sky through familiar smoke.
Leaning on the lifeboat, puffing away, the crane line clanked as we slowly ascended.
For safety, painfully slow.
By the time my first cig burned out and half the second was left, deck folks came into view.
"Ahh... Made it."
—Woooaaaaah!!!!!
—Clap clap clap!
Cheers and applause.
"Fuck yeah, this is it. Bask me in glory!"
— Psycho Lmao That psycho woman lmaoooo — Double Love Triple Love Fuck fell twice in love now thrice — Boss So Cool Boss looks so damn cool lmao ⭐ Chant — Han Ga-eul! Han Ga-eul! Han Ga-eul! Han Ga-eul! Han Ga-eul! — Bask In Glory Lol Bask in glory my ass lmao "Dad, Dad!"
The boat docked on deck, and the crowd swarmed.
"Isabelle, he's fine. Swallowed some water, but breathing steady. Calm down."
The unconscious uncle had no injuries and breathed normally.
"Herman, didn't finish those smokes you gave me."
"Ha... Haha, thanks for saving my friend. I'll stack cigs to the sky."
"Nah, no need. One's enough."
As I chatted with Herman, Snowy dive-bombed my face, and Isabelle hugged me tight.
"Why go alone!"
"Sorry."
Soothing the mad Snowy, now Isabelle was fussing.
"Ga-eul, thank you, thank you!"
"Yeah, thank me lots."
"Okay!"
One hand petting Snowy, the other patting tear-streaked Isabelle.
"My clothes are soaked. Keep this up, you'll get wet too."
"It's fine."
As I soothed her tighter hug, Arthur's voice came.
"But dude was conscious when he fell. Why pass out now? Exhaustion?"
Prying Snowy off my face, I saw Isabelle's dad on a stretcher.
"When I got there to save him, he panicked and grabbed my hair."
"Yeah, that's why drowning folks are dangerous up close."
"Yep. So I calmed him down a bit."
"Calmed? Intriguing way to pacify panic. How?"
"Uh, smacked the back of his head..."
"..."
— Lmaoooo LMAOOOOO psycho woman — Dead Lmao LMFAAAAAOOOOOO I felt Isabelle flinch in my arms.
"Uh, Isabelle. It's like North Korean CPR, y'know? If not, we'd both be in danger."
"North Ko...rea."
"Hmm, dangerous place."
"I think so too."
Isabelle finally peeled off, chasing her dad's stretcher.
"Ga-eul-ssi, you need a change of clothes."
"Yeah, but this is all I got."
"Isabelle will sort it when she comes back."
Things settling, I took my phone from the team leader and returned to the smoking table.
"Hoo... Cigs are the best. This heavy, cool feel."
— Boss Not Sane Boss seems not right in the head no matter how many times I watch — Fr Lmao For real lol "What, you punks didn't see my godplay earlier?"
— Saw It Saw the godplay was epic "Owner hungry."
Her anger subsided, Snowy, who'd been poking, finally spoke up.
Ding!
"Here, eat."
— Where From Where tf does that keep poppin from lmao About to hand it to Snowy, I felt intense eyes on me.
"Arthur, wanna feed Snowy?"
"No reason not to."
Arthur snatched the flower like he'd been waiting.
— Kaul Gomtang Butler Donated 5,000 won! — No More Ga-eul don't do that anymore — Sweet Broth Kid Sweet broth kid not even bones left "Why hassle my kid, punk. Tasty, so we keep boilin it."
— Boiled Dry Lmao we've been boiled so long no bones left — Just Smoke Left Fr just smoke remains — Military Secret 1q2w3e Donated 10,000 won! Smoked Evande;; Puffing cigs and bantering with viewers, footsteps approached our table.
"Miss."
"Oh, Grandpa Kamar."
Next to Grandpa Kamar stood a buff guy with black hair.
"Boss... Stop causin accidents."
"Who?"
Exotic looks, fluent Korean. And with Grandpa Kamar.
One name flashed in my mind.
"Ah, Chul-bong, come on in."
— Lmao Lmaoooooo — Welcome High Chul-bong Mr. High Chul-bong welcome — Chairman Finally Here Chairman Shik finally showed