Episode 56. Screw “Heave-ho” or Whatever—I’m F**ked (1)

Fortunately, on the way back, she was finally able to part ways with that damned hand. That was because, when they reached the stairs leading up to the second-floor room, Sodam had a full-on meltdown at Juyul, who naturally moved to pick her up again. The real reason behind her extreme reaction wasn’t so much about the act itself, but because she had overheard someone mention that he had not only carried her off the helicopter but also laid her down afterward.

Although there was a condition—if she so much as staggered, he would carry her for the rest of the patrol—that alone was enough freedom to satisfy her. As she stepped lightly out of the villa, she saw Daram and Seonghwa already waiting, all prepared and ready to go.

“Sorry I’m late. Baek Juyul-ssi tried to sneak out without waking anyone…”

“No, no. It’s totally fine. You’ve always had a weak constitution, haven’t you? The fact that you even came on this dispatch is impressive.”

“I didn’t used to be this trash at stamina—uh, I mean, this bad at it. Haha… I’m really sorry to you too, Guide Han Daram.”

“Ah, m-me? I’m fine too! I just got here myself!”

“Oh… um… that’s… good to hear…”

It wasn’t really the kind of thing you’d expect from Daram, a walking embodiment of grit, who practically is effort itself. Considering Sodam had spent a good ten minutes chatting with Juyul and throwing a fit upstairs, it felt all the more overwhelming to be met with those bright, blame-free eyes.

Feeling awkward, she laughed dryly and unconsciously took a small step away from Daram. Once the four of them were gathered, they wasted no time moving out. They walked and walked, relentlessly, as if determined not to waste a single second. The island, being private property, was larger than she’d expected—and her stamina was worse than she’d feared.

“Um, huff, maybe we could, just a bit, slow down, huff, as we walk…?”

“……”

“I-I just need to take a quick breather, really!”

Sodam threw up a hand to fiercely object as Juyul started approaching her, clearly about to scoop her up again in an attempt to uphold the agreement. She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, shivering under the cold sea breeze.

Clicking his tongue quietly, Juyul shrugged off his outer coat and laid it over her shoulders. Startled by the sudden weight and presence, she nearly pushed it away, but when she caught the look in his eyes—like he was silently saying, please don’t reject this—she closed her mouth tight. Instead, she gripped the coat draped over her shoulders even more firmly, as if clutching onto him. The sensation was so intimate it made the tips of her ears flush red.

Just as Juyul was about to say something while watching her quietly—

A strange sound came from the beach.

Krrrrr─.

The creature, roughly the size of a snapping turtle and shaped somewhat like one too, stomped across the beach with glowing red eyes. Sodam was a little startled when both Juyul and Seonghwa instantly turned their heads toward it, but she quickly felt a sense of relief—if it was only that big, Juyul would probably take care of it without even breaking a sweat.

But it was too early to relax. Following the first monster, more of the bizarre creatures surged in like waves. Seeing the conflict in Juyul’s eyes—torn between wanting to rush in and deal with them, and staying to check on Sodam—she let out a quiet sigh.

It was clearly guilt. She’d caused a scene, after all. Of course, that was just her interpretation. To someone else—specifically Seonghwa, who had been watching the two—it was something much more shocking. The fact that his childhood friend, who always prioritized monster subjugation above all else, was now hesitating because of a single Guide—it was simply unbelievable.

And before Seonghwa could even wrap his head around it, something even more absurd happened right before his eyes.

With a little grunt, Sodam stood up from where she’d been seated on a rock, grabbed Juyul by the collar, and pulled him into a kiss. The wet sound of their lightly entangled tongues came through loud and clear—whether he wanted to hear it or not.

“Okay, now go.”

“…You. We’re talking about this when I get back.”

“Sure, sure. Do whatever you want. Just go do your job!”

As Sodam gave Juyul a push on the back, he finally started walking toward where he needed to be.

People say time slows down when you witness something unbelievable. Seonghwa felt like that’s exactly what was happening. How else could Sodam, who staggered the moment Juyul got far enough away, be moving in such slow motion?

“Ah, thank you. …You don’t think Baek Juyul heard that too, right?”

“It’s fine. He’s the type to tune out anything that’s not directly in front of him.”

“Well, thank goodness for that…”

Hearing those same words from Sodam—thank goodness—made Seonghwa realize how different the same sentence could feel. The ones she’d said earlier to him and Daram were for show. But this one… this one held her genuine concern.

That Sodam sincerely worried for Juyul, and that Juyul treated her with sincerity—this was exactly the outcome Seonghwa had once wished for. The same familiar scent of soap that had become so closely tied to her felt even clearer now that they were physically close.

And yet… why did it feel so much like defeat?

Lost in his thoughts, Seonghwa belatedly noticed Sodam fidgeting, unable to properly support herself.

“You can lean on me. It’d be best for you to go inside and get some rest.”

“Ah… But I should at least wait for Baek Juyul to come back…”

“Trust me, Juyul would prefer that you rest, rather than waiting around like some stubborn fool.”

At the word fool, Sodam looked like she was about to protest, but her lips shut tight. Taking that as agreement, Seonghwa murmured a quick “excuse me” and picked her up.

How many times had this happened today already? Sodam couldn’t help feeling utterly useless. The fact that she needed someone’s help just to move her body weighed on her. Her rational side insisted this was the cost of overworking herself—but her pride couldn’t bear to admit defeat to the Association just yet.

“Ughhh…” she groaned, hanging her head, before muttering quietly, “Then… I’ll be in your care…”

“Anytime. Oh, Guide Han Daram, would you mind waiting here just in case—for Baek Juyul?”

“Ah! Y-yes! Of course!”

Daram, who had been ready to follow after Sodam like a chick after its mother hen, stiffened at Seonghwa’s gentle but firm request. Giving a polite nod to the ever-disciplined Daram, Seonghwa moved quickly, but quietly. Feeling sheepish, Sodam folded her hands and gave a guilty apology gesture over Seonghwa’s shoulder to the now-distant Daram.

Daram gave a cautious “okay” sign in return, which helped Sodam relax her stiff shoulders. She cleared her throat and whispered,

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t realize my stamina was… this trash. I mean, this bad.”

“Even just flying here by helicopter takes a surprising toll. Don’t stress too much.”

“Still…”

“Oh, we’re here. You’ll be sharing the room with Juyul, right?”

“…That’s how it ended up.”

To someone like Seonghwa, who was born and raised in this world, being tied to someone as a dedicated Guide made this arrangement feel perfectly natural.

But to Sodam—who still hadn’t even reached her first anniversary of being in this possessed body—there was nothing more embarrassing than this kind of conversation. While rubbing her increasingly red face, she suddenly realized they had arrived at the door.

To think that the bed she had seen just an hour ago could feel so precious now. Seonghwa gently set her down without even making a sound, then hesitated for a moment before asking,

“You… can change clothes on your own, right?”

“O-Of course I can! I mean, it’s not like I’m some kind of patient or anything…”

She only looked fragile because she was surrounded by people with physical abilities far beyond those of ordinary humans. In reality, she was just a regular person who didn’t exercise enough—a common modern civilian condition. Honestly, since Daram was also E-class, she figured they’d be around the same level physically. But nope. Daram had such solid core strength that she could walk perfectly straight without even glancing at the ground, keeping her eyes fixed on Sodam the entire time without a single misstep.

Just thinking about how Daram had stared at her so intensely made Sodam sigh again.

In the original story, the reason Daram cared so much about Juyul wasn’t just because she had handled his Guiding, but because she practically idolized his abilities. That must have been why she was able to suppress her own feelings and hand him over to the main heroine.

But then what about me? Why? I’m total scrap. Why is she not showing the slightest interest in Baek Juyul?

Why had the gaze that was supposed to be directed at her idol ended up on her instead? The only thing that came to mind was the fact that she’d been assigned as Juyul’s exclusive Guide. If that’s really the reason Daram had started admiring her… then that was a seriously misguided path to admiration.

It’s not like I’m sticking by his side because I’m good at Guiding or anything…

She figured she’d eventually shatter whatever fantasy Daram had, but considering the way the girl’s eyes were already half-spun with admiration, that probably wouldn’t help much. If anything, she might get revered even more—as someone humble despite her capabilities.

The growing headache made Sodam sigh yet again.

The room, still warm from when Juyul had been in it, actually helped her a lot while changing clothes. If not, she would’ve had to awkwardly change under the covers.

If it were Juyul, he probably would’ve insisted on helping her himself. But Seonghwa, ever the gentleman, had turned completely red down to the nape of his neck and was staring intently at the wall. Seeing his back like that, Sodam had no choice but to let out an even deeper sigh.