By Zephyria I don’t even know how I got back to the hotel. Mu-hae had been lost in thought ever since Dunham made his offer.
The accommodation provided by NPS was, of all things, excessively pleasant, and the cityscape visible beyond the picture window was distractingly beautiful.
Whether Mu-hae was like that or not, Joo-oh was sitting on the sofa, watching TV. His eyes were vacant, and it seemed he was staring into space instead of at the screen.
Dunham’s voice once again overlapped with his familiar figure.
‘Like a family…’
Director Gil, Teacher Jung, and, of course, that guy, were all strangers with not a drop of blood related to him. But right now, they were the only people Mu-hae could call family.
Perhaps Dunham wasn’t only referring to blood ties. The sight of those living with the stigma of a dilapidated environment flashed before Mu-hae’s eyes.
Would they be tempted if they heard this offer? Or would they prioritize the Return flight, regardless of any rewards?
Despite having unexpectedly seized an opportunity, his head was filled more with hesitation than expectation or longing.
‘If you need time to consider, I’ll extend your accommodation reservation. However, we also have schedules, so we can’t wait too long.’
It was still unknown what impact Dmitri’s research data would have on the Return flight. Even if he handed over those records entirely, it might not even affect the Return flight.
Nevertheless, this choice was a simple either/or. Mu-hae clearly realized that fact.
It was wonderful to be satisfied with the cause his father had left him and to have a noble destination in a life that had no purpose…
Could he continue his activities, which were no different from a one-man crusade, even after all his deficiencies disappeared? If Dunham paid all the promised compensation, everyone would live a new life.
In the end, he had fallen at the crossroads between the future of humanity, not bound by Crystal Blue, and a peaceful life.
“Umm.”
Perhaps sensing the atmosphere even while spacing out. Joo-oh made a serious sound with a still-vacant face.
Surprisingly, he hadn’t whined about being hungry once so far. He hadn’t ransacked the fridge and run out of the room even though he’d missed dinner, making his face feel unfamiliar.
Should I have let him grab some food in the lounge earlier? The heavy anguish that made his temples throb gently dissipated before the hungry Joo-oh.
“Hey.”
“……”
“Joo-oh.”
Only after calling his name did his red eyes roll. Joo-oh gave a faint smile at Mu-hae’s appearance, still in his shirt with only his sleeves rolled up.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
As soon as he asked, his eyes widened. Joo-oh belatedly swallowed hard and quickly ran to the refrigerator.
He only let out a sigh of relief after emptying the colorful drinks in one go. As if something terrible would happen if he went hungry.
“I didn’t realize.”
What was he thinking so hard about that the glutton forgot to eat? Raising an eyebrow at the unbelievable situation, Joo-oh confessed on his own.
“I was thinking about good things.”
“Good things?”
“Jin Mu-hae and… Goryeo City and, bikes and, Jin Mu-hae and, Fruit Tornado and, beds and, Jin Mu-hae.”
Was it just his imagination that Jin Mu-hae was mentioned about three times? Anyway, he’d forgotten he was hungry because he’d been thinking about things he liked for a long time.
Putting aside whether that was possible for him, the attempt was commendable. Mu-hae stared at him holding the empty bottle for a moment before turning away.
“Put on your shoes. Let’s go out and get something to eat.”
“Okay!”
He seemed ready to drool like before, so Mu-hae’s pace gradually quickened. Matching his stride easily beside him, Joo-oh continued to chatter.
“If I keep thinking about what was delicious and what made me happy. I can hold back my anger. Maybe.”
“Do you even have anything to be angry about?”
“I will.”
Well, it’s impossible to live without getting angry. Just a while ago, he’d sulked over something trivial and slammed the door, causing a fuss.
Anyway, this was also a great development. The guy who used to stare blankly into space now answered when called, and it was amazing that he was now trying to control his instincts.
Of course, before that impression had even faded, Joo-oh ate three servings of braised short ribs and four servings of stir-fried noodles, confirming that his instincts were still intact, and Mu-hae gritted his teeth a little because he couldn’t bring himself to use the voucher given by NPS.
The food was more expensive than in Goryeo City, but this level of expenditure was expected anyway. Compared to the confusing thoughts, Joo-oh’s food expenses were not even comparable.
On the way back to the accommodation, he laughed contentedly and held Mu-hae’s arm tightly.
“I can really hold back with this much.”
“Try holding back your appetite a little.”
Joo-oh looked around the darkened city with a face that clearly pretended not to hear. His face, lit by the streetlights, was quite dreamy.
“This place is fun.”
“……Do you want to live in Bay City?”
At the question, he looked up at Mu-hae intently. Eyes filled with reason, something he only showed when he was full.
The voice that followed from Joo-oh was a little small, but without any hesitation.
“But this isn’t home.”
“Anywhere you can live is home.”
“Bay City isn’t Jin Mu-hae’s base camp.”
He was speaking clearly, but it was still an incomprehensible story. Still, having spent time together, he vaguely grasped the meaning.
It seemed that Joo-oh regarded the house on Starlight Road or in Jaegang District as a kind of activity base. A safe zone to prepare equipment before going out on a mission and to prepare for the Return flight.
“If you live here, you won’t need a base camp.”
In Bay City, there was no shackle that drove him into dangerous mercenary work. There was no Return flight mission that forced him to wander outside his Comfort zone.
Jin Mu-hae could have a decent job and live a relatively safe life. A regular and peaceful life, like everyone else…
“Jin Mu-hae doesn’t want anything ordinary.”
His body flinched as if his thoughts had been read. Mu-hae narrowed his brow slightly and faced Joo-oh.
Hahaha! He laughed out loud and quickly ran towards the accommodation. To catch him, who had suddenly bolted, Mu-hae had no choice but to hurry as well.
Looking at the passing cityscape, what came to mind was Mu-hae’s current life. It had only been a few months since he had obtained a place to stay in Jaegang District and received a job offer.
Nevertheless, Mu-hae naturally chose the Return flight. Even before that, he had never thought of opening a store or trying to mingle in a formal residential area with the 200,000 Deal he would receive.
Rather, he was energized by the unknown adventures and opportunities that lay ahead. The feeling of the world gradually widening was close to a thrill that shook his heart.
“I need to use the bathtub.”
“You ran like this because you wanted to play in the water?”
“Not playing in the water, a half bath. And the bathtub here is really, really good.”
It was a strange thing. He had thought he had been living with a vague desire for a stable life.
Now that he was aware of the inner urge, he wanted to go higher. He wanted to go further. Even in the desolate Earth, the world was wide, and there were still countless places he had not been.
Passing through the hotel lobby and looking at the mirror on the wall, he saw a face that was strangely full of life. Come to think of it, he had seen the same expression on Director Gil’s face before.
When he visited the Electronic Store with his father’s belongings, Mu-hae had witnessed the excitement burning like wildfire in the eyes of a dry and tired man.
Neither Director Gil nor Teacher Jung had been particularly proactive people before. Remembering that fact, he got a grip on the confusing choices.
“Use the bathtub a lot.”
“I checked yesterday, and bubbles come up.”
“Play with that to your heart’s content too. Because we’re leaving soon.”
Joo-oh smiled so wide his eyes closed. Why did he act so cute when he was so tall?
Mu-hae was about to stroke his head, but instead, he mischievously pulled his ear and strode out of the elevator first.
“That’s a shame.”
As soon as the day dawned, he sent a message. Dunham, who had rushed over, couldn’t hide his disappointment and twitched his mustache.
Mu-hae was nervous that he might do something harmful, but he soon heard that a plane was prepared for the two of them.
Despite the curt refusal, the Small aircraft provided by NPS was as luxurious as when they arrived. Whether it was because the cult was generous or just had too much money, it was enough to ease the tension.
Now that he was going back, he had to find more of Dmitri’s research in other ways. If he had made more progress in his discoveries before he died than the current records, then the trigger for the Return flight, which had not been pulled, would be completed.
He had experienced all sorts of incidents so far, but Mu-hae felt quite strange now that he could see the end of the ambiguous work.
Of course, that was only possible under the assumption that Dmitri had reached that stage. There was no point in making a fuss over something that hadn’t happened yet. Mu-hae calmed himself as much as possible and took a long, deep breath.
And at that moment.
Geeeeee-.
A strange noise came from the engine of the Small aircraft, which had been flying well. Frowning slightly and checking the monitor, he saw that the aircraft was slowly losing altitude for some reason.
They still had a long way to go to reach Goryeo City. When he brought up the compass function on his Link Watch, the direction was also slightly off from the destination.
They were heading to the land on the left, subtly, instead of crossing the northern sea. The Small aircraft landed on unfamiliar land before he could do anything.
“……Shit.”
As soon as he opened the door, he saw a wide beach and a forest beyond that grew unusually densely. They were plants that had been affected by Blue Energy, no doubt. It seemed there was a Crystal Zone nearby.
No wonder they let him go so easily. It wasn’t that he hadn’t suspected it, but he didn’t expect them to be so blatant.
The only silver lining was that the Small aircraft hadn’t crashed straight into the sea. They hadn’t given up on Dmitri’s data yet.
“Did you have a pleasant trip?”
As expected, several figures appeared from behind a large rock. Two mercenaries with broad shoulders and an old man… Hawkins.
He hadn’t been seen on the way out, so he must have been waiting here in advance.
“The hospitality isn’t very good. How can you expect us to cooperate like this?”
“You have to cooperate to go home. It’s not a difficult condition, so why are you like this?”
Hawkins twisted his lips slightly and pointed in the direction of Goryeo City. As he said, Mu-hae had been abandoned on unfamiliar land without any means of transportation.
Joo-oh held his arm tightly beside him. His face, which was always smiling, was expressionless, and it seemed he was also uneasy.