Chapter 151

By the way, this hotel had an indoor swimming pool.

I didn’t bring a swimsuit since they said I could rent one, but it seemed Si-ho had brought hers.

“I’ll show you.”

But the next words made me stop for some reason.

“Show what? You sly thing, how long are you going to cling to Domi Oppa?”

Then, as Ayu gestured for Si-ho to let go, Si-ho ignored her and hugged me tighter.

“Then don’t show Shin Sora unnie. Manager-nim, you don’t need to see, right?”

“What? Of course, I want to see. Domi Oppa, don’t you want to see my swimsuit?”

The sense of fulfillment I felt just moments ago began to fade.

“I brought mine too.”

Then, Seolhyang whispered in my ear.

“…I also brought lingerie.”

Hearing that, I was startled and looked at her. She smiled with a red face.

Was my childhood friend always like this?

Knock knock-

At that moment, a new person appeared with a knock on the door.

“Hyuk-seo hyung!”

The first person I saw was none other than Hyuk-seo hyung.

As soon as I saw him, I shouted, and he scratched his head with an awkward smile.

“Hey, Domi, long time no see. How have you been?”

Since the Giraseong incident, I hadn’t seen him, so I was genuinely happy to see him.

“Domi, you’re so mean. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

Then, Eva unna peeked out from beside him and asked.

“Of course, I’m happy to see you too, Eva unna. How have you been?”

As I smiled and spoke to Eva unna, she smiled back and nodded.

Meanwhile, I noticed Juk-sim clinging to her like a kangaroo joey.

Seeing Juk-sim, who seemed to have been like this the whole way here, I knelt down to meet her gaze.

“Juk-sim-nim, have you been well?”

Although I had seen her not long ago, when I greeted her, Juk-sim glanced at me and tapped her phone.

[She says she’s been well.]

Typical of the ever-healthy Juk-sim.

She was practically logging into the game every day, so she must have been doing well.

“Is everyone here?”

At that moment, Eva unna asked, looking inside. I smiled and shook my head.

“Just one person left.”

At that moment, my phone started ringing.

“Looks like she’s here.”

I answered the phone and walked outside.

“Ayu, let’s go.”

Since the two of us had met first, I called Ayu, and she quickly followed.

“Yoo Ah?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

I answered Ggotbi’s call like that.

[Ah, Oppa, I’m downstairs. Should I come up?]

“Yeah, take the elevator. I’ll wait for you at the front.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Yoo Ah. Hoo, Oppa, what should I do? I’m excited.”

As Ayu, who followed me out, stomped her feet, I chuckled.

“You’ve been keeping up with her overseas tour, right?”

“Yeah, of course. It’s our Yoo Ah.”

As Ayu said that, she suddenly looked at me as if something had occurred to her.

“But Domi Oppa, do you talk to Yoo Ah often?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I think we talk about once a day?”

Hearing that, Ayu’s eyes wavered for a moment.

“…Every day?”

“Ggotbi was holding on with self-hypnosis. So today, I talked to her a lot to check on her condition.”

Ayu was momentarily dazed, then covered her eyes with her hand.

“Really, every day?”

“Yeah. Want me to show you the call logs?”

“Domi Oppa, do you know what often happens to patients with their therapists or psychologists?”

I tilted my head at that.

Then Ayu sighed as if frustrated.

“They develop feelings for the person who listens to them the most.”

“Huh, yeah?”

“Returners are especially vulnerable to that.”

Ayu looked straight at me.

“And, logically speaking.”

She raised her hand and poked my chest with her index finger.

“No matter how much you’re acting as a therapist, you don’t talk on the phone every day, right?”

I pursed my lips at that.

“Text or chat, maybe, but calls. Calls. Haa, you just want to hear her voice, you dummy Domi Oppa.”

“…”

Is that so?

Ding!

At that moment, the elevator arrived.

As I turned my gaze, the elevator doors opened, and pink hair fluttered out.

At the same time, Ggotbi, who met my eyes, smiled brightly at me.

And I realized that gaze was solely directed at me.

“Oppa.”

It had been a long time since I last saw her.

As she stepped out of the elevator, she reached out to me but hesitated.

It was as if her hand had moved on its own without her intending it.

Seeing that, Ayu shot me a look.

As if to say, “See?” I couldn’t say anything.

“…You’re here?”

When I finally spoke, Ggotbi shyly nodded at me.

Then, meeting Ayu’s gaze, she flinched as if caught and waved at Ayu.

“Ayu, long time no see.”

“Yoo Ah!”

As Ayu rushed over, Ggotbi hugged her.

Putting aside what was said earlier, both of them looked genuinely happy.

“I watched all of your tour.”

“Really? Thank you. You must have been busy too.”

“I’m a hardcore fan. Of course, I had to watch!”

As the two laughed and talked, I pointed towards the room.

“Let’s both go to the room first.”

“Ah, everyone’s here, right?”

Ggotbi, as if remembering belatedly, smiled with anticipation.

As her gaze lingered on me, I had to manage my expression.

It felt like she was looking at a lover she hadn’t seen in a long time.

When my eyes met Ayu’s beside Ggotbi, she gave me a “See?” look.

Did I do something wrong?

‘I messed up.’

It’s all my fault.

“Ah, B, Blackstar Yoo Ah?!”

As we entered the room, Ji-eun, who recognized Ggotbi, exclaimed in shock.

Of course, it wasn’t just Ji-eun.

Everyone else also showed surprised reactions upon seeing Ggotbi.

I couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.

“Has everyone eaten?”

When I asked, it turned out no one had eaten yet.

“Then let’s all eat first.”

As I said that and looked at Seolhyang, she nodded and stood up.

“It’s prepared downstairs. Let’s all move quickly.”

Seolhyang, as the head of the World Returner Association, gave quick instructions.

As we followed, Si-ho suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Manager-nim, Si-ho just realized.”

“Huh?”

“Si-ho, it’s not the time to just stand still.”

What do you mean, not the time to stand still?

“Si-ho, do you remember the date we promised last time?”

When Si-ho mentioned the date we had talked about in Iceland, I nodded.

“On December 31st, with Si-ho.”

As Si-ho firmly set the date, I couldn’t refuse and just nodded.

Then, a big smile spread across Si-ho’s face.

“It’s a promise.”

Is this going to be okay?

As Si-ho said that and tried to hug my hand, Ji-eun subtly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.

As Si-ho was pulled back with a surprised look, Ji-eun smiled.

“I won’t let you have it all to yourself.”

“Ji-eun, you.”

“I decided not to give up either.”

Si-ho’s eyes trembled.

Her face looked as if she had raised a tiger cub.

The problem wasn’t just Ji-eun and Si-ho.

I could feel the gazes piercing the back of my head.

“It’s all your fault.”

As Baeksan, who had been quietly watching, said that, I quickly moved.

If this continued, we’d end up fighting over seats at the restaurant.

“Seo-ho, Hyuk-seo hyung.”

“Huh, what, Domi?”

“Hyung-nim.”

I slipped between Hyuk-seo hyung and Seo-ho, who were walking ahead.

This was the only place that could protect me now.

Hyuk-seo hyung glanced back at me and then chuckled.

“After saving all those kids like us, look at the mess you’re in.”

“But I can’t just leave him be.”

“I won’t deny that.”

As Hyuk-seo hyung said that, he casually draped his arm over my shoulder and whispered.

“If you’re going to take care of them, take care of Se-hee too.”

You mean Eva unna.

Eva unna, who was practically being carried, was looking out the window when she bumped her head against a pillar and was rubbing her forehead.

Juk-sim, seeing that, reached out her small hand to rub Eva unna’s forehead. Eva unna, embarrassed, smiled awkwardly and then met my gaze.

She blushed deeply and looked down, seemingly ashamed of bumping her head.

I wanted to take care of her too.

“Hyuk-seo hyung will take care of Eva unna.”

“Domi, Korean has many meanings.”

As Hyuk-seo hyung said that, he removed his arm from my shoulder and crossed his arms.

“I don’t really care as long as Se-hee is happy.”

Though Hyuk-seo hyung said he cherished Eva unna, his expression turned fierce.

“But if anyone makes her unhappy, I’ll crush their balls.”

As Hyuk-seo hyung laughed menacingly, I made a bewildered face.

Well, I’d do the same if anyone messed with Eva unna.

“Hyung-nim, I also don’t care as long as Ha Si-ho is happy.”

As Seo-ho chimed in, I quietly replied, “Oh, yeah.”

Thinking about it, both of them were protective of their younger siblings.

‘They were the ones I should have been most careful of.’

In an instant, they could become enemies, so I decided to be cautious.

After that, we finished our meal.

We ate just enough, not too much.

Because our next schedule was the swimming pool.

“How dare you eat without me!”

Though Yoo Woo-jung, who arrived late, was annoying, she quietly ate when I put bread in her mouth.

Eating whatever was put in her mouth was one of her few good traits.

“The swimming pool. It’s been years.”

After the meal.

I packed my bag and entered the changing room with the guys.

I don’t think I’ve been to a swimming pool since elementary school.

As I tried to recall vague memories, Hyuk-seo hyung next to me took off his black top.

“Whoa.”

At that moment, I couldn’t help but exclaim.

Is that really a human body?

From various scars to tattoos, Hyuk-seo hyung’s body was like a human weapon.

Next to him, I felt infinitely small.

With that thought, I looked around and saw Seo-ho and Dohwa changing.

Both had well-trained bodies, but compared to Hyuk-seo hyung, I felt more at ease.

Though their faces made me uncomfortable again.

Our female side is like that, but isn’t the male side’s appearance disparity too much?

“Is this what I wear?”

“Yes, just put on the swim trunks.”

“Exposing the top like this.”

Dohwa looked a bit uncomfortable.

Well, from a Murim perspective, it might not make sense.

‘Well, I should be fine.’

I had a decently trained body, and when I changed into the swimsuit, it looked okay.

Well, after all that training, it would be strange not to have muscles.

“What are you doing? Let’s go.”

Hyuk-seo hyung, who changed into a black swimsuit first, gestured.

It seemed like he was excited to play after a long time, so I felt at ease.

Thinking about his future, this was the best time for him.

As we walked out, the girls, being slower, hadn’t come out yet.

They’d come out when they were ready.

Unlike the guys who just changed clothes, the girls’ side was quite noisy.

“What’s this? Is this a monster world?”

Especially Yoo Woo-jung, who was standing there in shock.