Once all the training had concluded, we were granted our scheduled vacation period as planned.
Truthfully, this “vacation” merely entails spending two days on this cruise ship. Afterward, we’ll have to return to Han-yul Military Academy and attend lectures as usual.
Still, since it’s a rare opportunity to rest, we ought to make the most of it.
Incidentally, out of all theCombat Division students remaining on this cruise ship, there are only about 30 of us. The other 400+ students are still trapped on the island.
They’re probably busy cleaning it up or repairing damaged equipment right about now. Including that dropout, the foul-smelling rag of a girl, Baek Joo-hee, who I personally eliminated.
It’s already bad enough that they had to endure such an unfair training session; now they have to handle the cleanup. I’m truly grateful that I’m not included in that mess.
Anyway.
Dropouts are just that—dropouts. There’s no longer any reason for me to concern myself with them since the training is officially over.
Now it’s time for me to enjoy this vacation properly. I might as well roam freely around the cruise ship.
So on the first day of our break, the first place I headed to was…
“Oohhh, the water!”
Splash!
The pool. The moment I arrived, I dove right in. The water’s temperature—neither too cold nor too hot—was highly satisfying.
It was truly a luxury cruise.
“What do you mean ‘oohhh’? This is a swimming pool, not the sea!”
Also present was Arna, who was standing a fair distance away in her athletic wear, watching me from outside the pool.
“To boldly enter a swimming pool without a swimsuit—how terribly disrespectful.”
“You expect her to have brought one? Besides, when did you prepare yours, hmm? As if you knew this would happen from the start…”
Most likely, out of all theCombat Division students, I’m the only one who brought a swimsuit. Neither Arna nor the other students would’ve anticipated that the training would take place on this cruise ship.
“And what’s with that weird duck tube of yours?”
“Is this the one you mean?”
By the way, attached to my waist was an adorable duck-shaped tube, which I prepared ahead of time, just like the swimsuit.
Quack.
When I pressed the tube, the duck emitted a quacking sound—it was absolutely darling. This is what real relaxation feels like.
“Ugh, I can’t stand it…”
On the other hand, Arna was wrinkling her face in disgust.
How could she not appreciate such cuteness? Arna truly lacks good taste.
“Go rent a swimsuit at the lobby if you don’t have one.”
“That’s what I just asked about earlier…but…”
Arna started fidgeting with her body, and her face started to redden.
What’s the matter?
“The sizes…they only have basic ones.”
“Hmm…”
It seems a regular swimsuit simply wouldn’t suffice for her build. Naturally, the overgrown bosom.
“Well then, I guess you’re just going to have to sit on a sun lounger and watch.”
“Watch? I was only planning to say a few words and then leave.”
“Words?”
Does she have something she wants to ask me? My head tilted slightly as I stared blankly at Arna.
“Um… ehh… hmm… so….”
What is it? Arna’s unusually hesitating with her words. Could it be something embarrassing for her to say directly?
Perhaps it’s a loan request? Did she come to ask me for money?
That might be the case. After all, there’s a casino on this cruise ship. If you’re going to gamble, it’s standard to bring plenty of seed money beforehand. Isn’t there a saying that money begets money?
“Alright. How much do you need? I’ll lend it to you interest-free. Considering the help you gave me during the training.”
“Huh? Interest-free? What are you talking about?”
“Aren’t you here for a loan consultation?”
“No I’m not!”
Arna suddenly shouted out loud.
Afterward, she exhaled deeply, seemingly deflating.
“Alright… how about we have a drink later tonight?”
“Drinks?”
What. With the way she was stuttering, I thought it was something serious, but all she wanted was to share a drink?
“Hey…! I saw there was a bar earlier…! Now that the training has ended, wouldn’t a celebratory drink be nice?”
“Are you buying?”
“…”
It wasn’t some local dive bar selling soju. It was a pretty high-class establishment. One drink would undoubtedly cost more than ten thousand won.
It seems excessive to spend my own money for this.
“Well, I’ll buy….”
“Ah, you’re a woman who knows how to open her wallet. That’s a commendable mindset.”
“Stop spouting nonsense… Anyway, see you later tonight.”
With that, Arna left the pool area.
Did she really come all this way just to say that? Arna sure is quite a light character.
“Young love.”
“…”
A deep male voice. When I turned to see where it was coming from, I found Trainee Instructor Kim Dong-hak lounging on the sunbed behind me.
“How long have you been there, sir?”
“I was here before you arrived.”
Kim Dong-hak sat up from the sun lounger and took off his tacky sunglasses.
“Shin Yoon-seong. You’ve finally managed to pass.”
“Well, I was just lucky.”
I glanced toward the pool entrance, where Arna had just exited.
Honestly, there was next to nothing I actually did during the training. All I did was grab food with a spoon. All the fighting was handled by Arna.
In fact, it was also Arna who faced the instructor Geum Gye-jun on the fourth day.
“By the way, who exactly decided to send the instructors to the island?”
“Naturally, me.”
“Does that mean I can yank out every last bit of your beard?”
Of course, it was Kim Dong-hak’s doing. You old devil.
Still, didn’t he make things thrilling and interesting?
“It wasn’t fun at all. Do you have any idea how much I had to endure just to survive in that hellhole of a fortress?”
“Why would I know?”
Hahaha! Kim Dong-hak burst out laughing heartily. Truly, I should pluck out all his beard and smoke it.
“Anyway, you’ve worked hard. Yet again, you’ve surprised me, Shin Yoon-seong.”
“Surprise? For what reason exactly? I merely passed, thanks to some good fortune, as I’ve already mentioned.”
“Not quite.”
Kim Dong-hak shook his head. After that, he asked me a rather serious question with an intense expression.
“Do you know what? Out of the successful candidates this time, how many are C-tier Awakened Individuals?”
Hmm. There were about 30 survivors in total, so there must be around five C-tier individuals, including me, right?
Maybe as many as ten at most.
“Out of all the C-tier Awakened Individuals, you, Shin Yoon-seong, were the only one who passed.”
“…”
“Additionally, all Awakened Individuals below the C-tier have all been eliminated.”
What in the world—so all theCombat Division students aboard this cruise ship are only A-tier or B-tier Awakened Individuals?
Of course, Arna is an exception since she’s S-tier.
“In other words, what I’m trying to say is…”
Kim Dong-hak stood up from the sun lounger. The sunglasses he was holding were neatly folded and tucked into the pocket of his Hawaiian shirt.
“There’s a reason why everyone else failed but you survived on your own. I just hope you wouldn’t attribute it all to just luck.”
Seems like he’s giving something that resembles praise. Still, it feels good to be acknowledged by others. Particularly praise from an instructor.
“You can look forward to my performance in the future. The next one will be the mid-term exam, won’t it?”
“Well…”
Damn. The joy doesn’t last long. After barely crossing over a small hill, a huge mountain appears before us.
They never give you a moment to rest.
Under the glittering stars, late at night, I briefly climbed up to the deck.
“There you are.”
“Eh…?”
I spotted Choi Soo-eun there. She was leaning against the railing, soaking in the sea breeze.
“Is this yours?”
I extended the lunchbox bag toward Choi Soo-eun.
Instantly, her eyes widened.
“How…?”
“I’ve already cleaned up the dishes, so don’t worry about it. I’m actually quite confident in my dishwashing skills.”
“Eh…?”
Choi Soo-eun instinctively hugged the bag tightly in her arms, clearly not expecting me to return it.
“Did you make it yourself?”
“Yes… that’s right…”
“It was all very delicious. I actually felt like I was eating a home-cooked meal.”
I gripped the railing. Due to the darkness of the night, I could barely make out the ocean. All I could confirm was the water rippling gently.
“Which one did you like the most…?”
Choi Soo-eun clutched the lunchbox bag, asking me gently. She looked extremely cautious.
“All of them were delicious. But if I had to pick one…”
“Hmm…?”
Choi Soo-eun perked up her ears and leaned in closer to me, much like a student awaiting their test results.
“It was probably the beef and mushroom stir-fry. That was my favorite; I even had to buy instant rice halfway through because I ran out.”
“It was really that good?”
Choi Soo-eun shook her shoulder involuntarily, disbelieving what she was hearing.
Was she doubting whether I was exaggerating?
“Should I just provide the receipt?”
“No, not necessary…”
Choi Soo-eun turned her body as well to face the sea, beside me.
Then she softly spoke up,
“Hey… how did you know…?”
“The lunchbox bag?”
“Yes…”
You managed to instantly recognize the owner just by seeing the bag. Naturally, Choi Soo-eun would be both surprised and curious.
“The bag smelled familiar. After pondering for a moment, I realized it reminded me of you.”
“Really? The bag…?”
Kung-kung. Choi Soo-eun started sniffing her bag, but as she didn’t detect anything unusual, she tilted her head.
“I don’t wear any perfumes…”
“So where’s that blueberry scent coming from?”
“Blueberry?”
Did something click in her mind then? Choi Soo-eun started sniffing her hand after the bag.
“Maybe… it’s from the shower gel…”
“Shower gel?”
“Yes, do you want to smell it? I just finished showering.”
Choi Soo-eun extended her hand.
Am I supposed to sniff like a dog now? Asking me to smell that here?
But I was curious. Just how good must the shower gel be to leave such an aroma noticeable in someone’s natural scent?
I leaned close to Choi Soo-eun’s wrist.
“Seriously! You weren’t already forgetful about the plans, were you?”
At the same time, Arna was frantically roaming around the interior of the cruise ship, holding two glasses of alcohol in her hands. Slices of bright yellow lemon adorned the highballs.
For the record, Arna paid for them.
“I can’t find him in the cabin, so where has he gone…”
I thought he’d naturally come if I wait at the bar.
But as the arranged hour passed with no sign of Shin Yoon-seong, she grew impatient.
“Could he have decided to avoid showing on purpose?”
That might be the case. Shin Yoon-seong’s antics make such behavior conceivable. After all, he’s unpredictable.
“If that’s the case, I won’t let him get away with it…”
It seemed she’s already swept through most of the inside areas of the ship. Now is the time to check outside.
Step-step.
Arna ascended the stairs leading outside, checking the deck first.
“There! Sure enough, you’re hiding here!”
Arna quickened her pace, cautiously ensuring the highball in her hand didn’t spill.
But…
Her steps faltered almost immediately.
Because Shin Yoon-seong wasn’t alone. Someone else was with him.
None other than Choi Soo-eun from the Medical Division.
“…”
Arna hesitated, feeling unable to intrude between the two.
Right now, Shin Yoon-seong had just kissed the back of Choi Soo-eun’s hand.
It felt like watching a scene straight out of a movie.
Under the starry night sky, atop the luxurious cruise ship, surrounded by gently rippling waves, the couple seemed to be whispering their love for each other.
“You said you don’t have a girlfriend…”
Despite claiming that on the island, was all of it lies then? To top it all off, he broke his promise with her here.
Lies after lies.
There was no avoiding the overwhelming sense of betrayal she felt.
“I guess I was bound to be heartbroken…”
Arna giggled faintly, choosing to quietly turn her back to leave the deck.
Looks like these two lemon-adorned highballs will have to be consumed alone tonight.
