★★★Chapter 18 : As If It Were The Last Time★★★
“Thank you for your hard work!”
“Oh, thank you.”
Kim Ha-neul, who had safely finished his volunteer work, took a sip of the drink handed to him by Gang Bada and caught his breath.
No matter what, taking ten rides with the children was not an easy task, so his breathing was slightly rough.
“Wow.”
Gang Bada’s eyes lit up as she casually wiped away her sweat. In Kim Ha-neul’s mind, the scene he had just witnessed was endlessly repeating.
‘Why is her physical condition so good!?’
Surprisingly, Kim Ha-neul had achieved overwhelming first place in all ten games played earlier.
Even when a young father in his mid-twenties appeared, or when a muscular man appeared. Even when he started the tenth climb.
Kim Ha-neul, who everyone thought would slip at least once, did not experience a single defeat.
“I’m sweating here.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll wipe it for you.”
Gang Bada took out a handkerchief and wiped away Kim Ha-neul’s sweat. In fact, he didn’t sweat much, but it was for the sake of those around him.
‘How dare you…’
The gaze of the women around Kim Ha-neul had been peculiar since earlier. It wasn’t that there were only married women in the theme park, after all.
‘No, even married women are dangerous.’
Her female instincts engraved in her DNA were speaking. Everyone here was a competitor. That’s how attractive the male was in front of them.
Gang Bada subtly rolled up her sleeve to show off her couple bracelet. She needed to establish her position and score points with Kim Ha-neul.
“Bada-ssi.”
“Just a moment. There’s something in your eye…”
“It’s really okay.”
Tap–
Kim Ha-neul lightly tapped Gang Bada’s forehead. While she was momentarily lost in the reverberation of that huge sound, the children approached them.
“Hyung, you’re so cool!”
“Can I touch your arm?”
“Me too, me too! Can I touch it?”
The children flocked around, surrounding Kim Ha-neul. He gently smiled and caressed the children, causing them to burst into laughter.
Just that.
He felt that all the hard work was worth it.
“You’ve worked hard, Ha-neul-ssi.”
“Don’t mention it. Where should we go now?”
“No, you should rest too. While you were working, I talked to the children, and it seems like we need to divide the group.”
“Divide the group?”
Nod-
The principal nodded lightly. As if they had coordinated beforehand, the children naturally lined up behind the teachers.
“Let’s explore around a bit with our group. Take your time and rest.”
“Huh? No, I…”
“Can’t the two of us handle a few kids? If anything comes up, let us know!”
Before Kim Ha-neul could say anything, the principal and Miss Park disappeared with the children. Left alone, Yena approached Kim Ha-neul.
“Yena wants to play more.”
Yena held Kim Ha-neul’s hand.
On the other side, she also held Gang Bada’s hand.
The sight of the three of them connected reminded them of a family, and both Gang Bada and Kim Ha-neul burst into laughter.
“Yeah, since we came to have fun, let’s make the most of it.”
Although the place was criticized for having excessively high entrance fees compared to its size and facilities, there was a need to play even harder because of that.
Even if the money came from Kang Taeyang’s pocket, it should be used wisely, just as it was a gift.
“What does ‘make the most of it’ mean?”
“Well, it means we should try all the rides here.”
“Then, Yena wants to try everything too!”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
The three of them held hands and started exploring Legoland.
* * *
“Haah…”
“Hooh…”
Two middle-aged men sighed at the same time. When their eyes met, they felt a strong sense of camaraderie.
“Did you happen to meet them?”
“You too?”
“Yes. We saw them in the creative zone. They had made a Tyrannosaurus rex like an official figure.”
“Huh? Wasn’t that already there?”
“No. The staff left it as an exhibit because they thought it would be a waste to break it. They said you can just take it if you pay for it.”
“Unbelievable.”
There was a family of three, Mom, Dad, and their daughter, enjoying their time at Legoland. They were trying to avoid overlapping paths, maybe even sharing their location through social media.
“What about over there?”
“I was at the fire truck experience…”
“Huh? But that’s a two-person activity, right?”
“It seems like you didn’t see it properly. The woman next to me was no joke either. The two of them were so in sync, pumping like there’s no tomorrow… Hoo-!”
The man who was sighing took a deep breath. It was because the family in question passed by right in front of them.
“Well, then I’ll go first.”
“Cheer up.”
“Yes, you too, fight on.”
The middle-aged men bid each other good luck and went their separate ways. Gang Bada glanced discreetly at their backs.
“Somehow, it doesn’t seem quiet around us, right?”
“If a truck is coming, we should avoid it instead of stopping it.”
“…That’s a metaphor like something a web novel writer would say.”
Kim Ha-neul shrugged.
They both understood perfectly well what was going on. It wasn’t like they couldn’t hear what people were saying around them.
“Well, what can we do?”
They had just done their best.
Kim Ha-neul took care of the physical activities like the “Monkey Climb,” while Gang Bada excelled in the more brain-oriented tasks like “Building Lego Models.”
Even in sections without direct competition, where there were no physical challenges involved, they could sense their group subtly avoiding others.
“Well, we’re enjoying ourselves, right?”
They didn’t intentionally try to ruin other people’s experiences, but as a result, they were having a pleasant tour, which they were grateful for.
“Thanks to that, we’ve tried everything here.”
“It seems like Yena is satisfied too.”
Yena was sound asleep, leaning on Kim Ha-neul’s back. Although they took turns participating in the games, Yena hadn’t rested at all.
“But she’ll probably wake up soon.”
The scariest thing about kids is how quickly they recharge. Yena would surely wake up again and start running around in no time.
“Should we join the group now?”
“Yes, we should. It’s almost closing time anyway.”
“I know it’s a bit late to mention this, but what was in the bag…”
..”It’s okay.”
..”Huh?”
“Well, sometimes people carry things like condoms in their bags. Some say if you keep them in your wallet, money will come. But there were quite a lot of them.”
“Ahaha…”
Kim Ha-neul let out a small laugh. Then Gang Bada turned her head and their eyes met.
“But we shouldn’t let the wind blow, you know?”
“Of course, that’s obvious.”
“Okay then.”
Satisfied with the immediate response, Gang Bada turned and continued walking forward.
A glimmer of doubt passed through Kim Ha-neul’s mind as he watched her back.
“…Is it enough to just not let the wind blow?”
Does it mean everything is okay?
Could this be a green light?
“The atmosphere today wasn’t bad.”
Although it was physically tiring, it was an enjoyable day for Kim Ha-neul. If Gang Bada felt the same way.
‘Let’s not jump to conclusions.’
He used to do volunteer work at university. It’s too early to judge based on this behavior. It’s risky to interpret things without clear signals.
“What are you doing over there?”
“I’m coming.”
Gang Bada, who was walking ahead, stopped. She looked back and waited for Kim Ha-neul to catch up. Kim Ha-neul quickly walked up to her.
“It must be tiring. Should I take over?”
“It’s okay. Can you get me a drink, though?”
“Sure, here you go.”
Gang Bada handed Kim Ha-neul a straw with a drink. Kim Ha-neul took the drink and swallowed a light laugh.
“…Yena… succeeded.”
Suddenly, Yena, who was being carried on their backs, mumbled in her sleep. Their eyes met in the air with laughter.
*Puff*
And without anyone saying anything, laughter burst out. Gang Bada sneaked behind and tickled Yena’s face.
“Yena is smiling brightly. She must be having a fun dream, don’t you think?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, wait a moment. I’ll take a picture to show you!”
As they returned to the hotel, smiles never left their faces.
“You did a great job.”
“The director had an even tougher time.”
“Hehe, did you have fun?”
“Thanks to you.”
When they returned to the hotel, the director greeted them. Seeing the smile on their face made them feel at ease.
“What about the other kids?”
“They’re playing treasure hunt in their rooms. The rooms are decorated nicely, so they must be really excited.”
In this hotel, every room has a treasure hunt game. If they solve the given puzzles and open the safe, there’s a prize inside.
70,000 won per day.
The more expensive rooms are 100,000 won.
They wouldn’t be able to afford it with their own money, but it’s a nice place to enjoy using someone else’s money.
“I’m glad everyone is enjoying it.”
“It’s all thanks to the two of you. So, what do you want to do now? You can explore the hotel or go to your room and rest.”
“I think I need to rest for a bit first. What about you, Bada-ssi?”
“I want to rest too.”
Even though they might get teased for saying they’re tired when they’re older, this was a time in their early twenties where they felt each year weighing heavily on them.
From driving the bus to completing the theme park, I was mentally exhausted. Bada-ssi must be feeling the same.
“Anyway, all the kids are in their rooms, and when the doors open, the hotel staff will check and call us. So, you two can rest comfortably.”
“Thank you. Hmm?”
“Why are you saying that?”
“Is there a shortage of rooms?”
Since Bada-ssi also wanted to rest, shouldn’t they give us two keys? I remember Bada-ssi booking enough rooms for us.
“Huh? Weren’t you two sharing a room?”
“Well…”
It couldn’t be true.
I was about to say that.
“That’s right! That’s how it should be!”
I was about to defend myself with that thought, but suddenly Bada-ssi interrupted. She even poked my side as if to confirm what she said.
Of course, I understood the meaning behind it. They had already mentioned being engaged on the bus, so it would be strange to have separate rooms here. However…
“…If I sleep in the same room as you, will I never be able to open my eyes?”
Did Bada-ssi book extra rooms for no reason?
Maybe she bribed the staff or did something else. She must have been observing the situation here closely.
Amidst all this, would they spend the night in the same room as Bada-ssi? That would be like boarding a train to a bad ending.
“There are plenty of rooms, why bother…? Ouch!”
Suddenly, Bada-ssi clung tightly to my side and pinched my ribs, out of sight from the director. I barely suppressed the scream that was about to burst out.
If I hadn’t had years of experience as a movie theater smile-keeper, my expression would have crumbled immediately.
“Ha-neul-ssi, you must be very tired, right? Let’s go inside and rest quickly.”
“But…”
“Come on, hurry up.”
As if not allowing any arguments, Bada snatched the key from the director’s hand and pushed my shoulder. After all, there was still Yena clinging to my back.
“I’ll take care of Yena.”
The director reached out towards me to take Yena. In that fleeting moment, my mind quickly spun.
At this point, sharing the same room was inevitable. Of course, nothing would happen inside, but who would believe that?
“…I need a shield!”
Yena is perfect for that role.
With a child present, nothing bad could happen. I have a living witness, the purest shield in the world, hanging on my back right now.
“Director, we’ll take Yena with us.”
“Huh?”
Both the director and Bada-ssi looked at me with surprise at my words. If I couldn’t come up with a convincing answer here, the plan would naturally fail.
In that case, I would be executed by Kang Taeyang. I desperately racked my brain to salvage the situation.
“I noticed today that Yena listens to Bada very well. She didn’t even try to run away, right?”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
The director’s reaction wasn’t bad.
In reality, while Yena was awake, she always held Bada’s hand. If you had seen that, it would make sense for the director to react like that.
“I thought maybe when she wakes up, she might look for Bada. The director should be going around and checking on the other kids too. Since you’ve been working hard all day, let us take care of Yena today.”
A gentle smile appeared on the director’s face. Seeing that expression, a relieved smile also appeared on my face.
That means half of the plan is successful.
Now, they just need to convince Bada.
“Hmm!?!”
The moment I saw Bada-ssi’s expression, I couldn’t help but flinch and stop talking. Her expression was cold.
Of course, she immediately returned to her usual smiling face, but that fleeting cold expression stayed in my mind.
“Oh, that’s good. Let’s do that.”
*gulp-!*
Without realizing it, I swallowed dry saliva. Bada-ssi’s eyes were completely frozen, unlike the smile on her lips.
Maybe she’s unhappy about being given extra work. But besides this method, I don’t see any other way for me to survive.
“You don’t have to do that…”
“It’s okay, Director. If Ha-neul-ssi says it like that, there’s nothing I can do. I also like Yena.”
“Then, I’ll leave her to you just for today.”
“Yes~”
With Bada-ssi’s cheerful tone as the last sound, the director went back to check on the other children. An awkward silence settled among us.
“Shall we go inside? Together with Yena.”
“Um… Are you mad?”
“Huh? Why would I be angry?”
“······.”
Bada-ssi appeared to be smiling brightly.
The problem was that her expression, like the laugh of a psychopathic murderer in a horror movie, lacked warmth.
No matter what they say here, it’s a dead end. They can only be grateful for surviving another day and hope that their future self can solve the problem.
“You’ve decorated the hallway beautifully. Yena would have loved to see this. Kids, Shinara.”
“······.”
Taking the warmth felt from behind as the sole support, I silently walked through the hallway that felt like an icy path. Finally, I arrived at the room.
“Oh…”
This time, it was Bada-ssi who let out a genuine exclamation of admiration. I also felt that the interior held significant meaning as I looked at the scenery inside.
True to its name as a theme park, the room was filled with various character props, and even the hotel room felt like a part of the amusement park.
Although it wasn’t a room that particularly appealed to adults, it was easy to understand why the children from the orphanage would happily stay in it.
“Yena and I will use the bunker bed here. Bada-ssi, you can use the big bed over there.”
Fortunately, it seemed to be designed for families. There was a two-story bunker bed and a separate king-size bed.
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“Put Yena to sleep here.”
..As if asking me what Bada-ssi was saying, she led me towards the king-size bed.
“Ha-neul-ssi and I will use the bunker bed.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“I don’t know how Ha-neul-ssi thinks of me, but I’m an adult after all.”
“······.”
I see.
Usually, wealthy people are imagined to use beds much larger than king-size in spacious houses. I thought she might also find it uncomfortable.
Well, putting Yena to sleep on the big bed does seem like the best solution visually. Except for the fact that I’ll be sleeping in the same room as Bada-ssi.
“But at least we’re separated by floors.”
In a way, this might even be more comfortable. With that thought in mind, I laid Yena on the bed.
“But Yena also needs to take a bath…”
“Ha-neul-ssi, go ahead and take a bath first. I’ll bathe with Yena when she wakes up.”
I guess that’s okay?
I want to believe that it won’t lead to a sudden, horrific development where Yena disappears. But I didn’t have the courage to open my mouth and ask directly. So, after responding with an understanding nod, I immediately prepared to take a bath.
‘Now I’m not sure.’
I’ve been exerting a lot of effort and sweating quite a bit, not to mention the accumulated fatigue from driving. I want to immerse myself in hot water right away.
‘Oh, there’s a bathtub?’
We don’t have a bathtub at home, so I would love to get in and enjoy a half-body bath if possible.
Curious, I turned on the faucet, and water gushed out vigorously. It seemed like it would fill up completely by the time I finished showering.
‘Great. Let’s enjoy it.’
As if it were the last day.
Because who knows, it might actually be the last.
