episode_0039

“Scarlet? This is your workshop.”

She put her hands on her hips proudly, as if asking what the problem was.

“Yeah, it’s an amazing place to stay! It’s much safer than most inns, and best of all, it’s free!”

She winked playfully and pointed inside the workshop.

‘The word ‘free’ is tempting, but with someone of the opposite sex, not the same…’

As Scarlet said, security and safety were thorough.

The workshop door could only be entered with her permission, and if anyone tried to force open the sturdy iron door, the security system would activate.

Kaien would rush over like fire.

Finding a lodging this safe was a task in itself.

“I don’t even have the energy to look for another place, so I’ll impose on you a bit.”

The fatigue from the intense battle and the tension-filled day made him want to lie down on a bed immediately.

“Of course! I’ll show you to my special guest room.”

She led him to her private room, located in a relatively quiet corner of the workshop.

“Alright, you use the bed. I can just lay down a mattress and sleep.”

Scarlet said this casually.

“No, but how can the owner sleep on the floor… I’m fine with sleeping on the sofa or the floor.”

He declined, but she shook her head.

“No, it’s fine? I’m not some insensitive person who would make a guest sleep on the floor. Besides, you must be really tired from today’s battle. You should sleep somewhere soft.”

She chuckled good-naturedly and patted his shoulder.

“Get some good rest.”

“Are you going to work?”

“Just finishing up a few things.”

Scarlet picked up a welding mask from the table.

“Oh, right.”

As she was about to leave, she suddenly spun around and pointed to a door inside the room.

“That’s the bathroom. And there’s a laundry room inside, but **never open that door!** Understand?”

She spoke with a resolute expression, as if giving a warning.

Her saying that made him even more curious.

As his eyes narrowed, she spoke to him as if admonishing a child.

“Uh-uh! No, understand?”

“I won’t open it, I said I won’t.”

“And, wear this for pajamas.”

It was a T-shirt with a skull design.

“Why can’t I open the laundry room? I need to wash my clothes.”

“You’ll regret it if you open it. Understand?”

Whether she didn’t want to say anything more or was simply tired of it, she left immediately.

“She’s making me curious.”

She shouldn’t have told him in the first place.

It’s human nature to want to do something even more when told not to.

“Should I wash up first?”

He was relieved that he had some underwear he’d obtained from Icarus last time.

He immediately entered the bathroom and glanced at the door presumed to be the laundry room.

‘Did she hide a corpse or something?’

As the chilling thought crossed his mind, the air around him turned eerie.

You know, like when your lovely girlfriend turns out to be an emotionless killer.

Or when there are chainsaws in the closet instead of clothes, or suspicious amounts of hair in the drain.

“Honestly, I can’t imagine it though.”

Scarlet’s voice seemed to echo like a phantom sound.

‘Never open it!’

“At most, it’s probably just some underwear, I guess.”

It’s human nature to want to confirm with one’s own eyes.

But to do that would be pathetic and too perverted.

“Let’s wash up quickly and get out.”

He didn’t want to break his promise to her, so he quickly finished his shower and exited.

“It smells good.”

A faint, pleasant scent of fabric softener wafted from the bed.

Sleepiness washed over him, and his eyes closed.

How much time had passed?

The sound of the door opening and a presence woke him.

‘Is that Scarlet?’

“Sleeping soundly, aren’t we?”

It was indeed her.

She muttered to herself in a grumpy voice, then sounds of clothes being removed were heard.

The sound of clothes falling to the floor.

And a yawn, sounding tired or exhausted.

He felt oddly tense.

“You’re asleep, right? Jinwoo?”

He maintained his lying posture without answering.

Then, soon after, footsteps gradually approached.

-Creak.

The sensation of one side of the bed sinking, along with a feeling of being watched.

“Hmm, is he really asleep? Or not?”

He felt as if Scarlet would be staring intently if he opened his eyes.

“Ugh, it’s hot. I need to wash up quickly.”

-Creak.

The sunken bed cushion returned to its original state, and the footsteps receded.

‘Why is she so persistent?’

He squinted, and her silhouette was visible beyond the darkness.

-Gulp.

He automatically swallowed.

Scarlet’s silhouette unhooked something from her back. Then she bent over, pushed her hips back, and lowered her underwear.

The moment she turned on the bathroom light and entered.

Although it was her back, Scarlet’s body caught his eye.

‘Wow.’

He thought it was big, but it was too big.

A brief silence followed, and the sound of water from the shower filled the room.

‘My sleep is ruined.’

No matter how hard he tried to close his eyes, that scene kept flickering in his mind.

A little later, she came out with the sound of the washing machine running.

Unfortunately, she was in pajamas.

She stretched once, then walked towards the bed.

-Creak.

‘No, you said you’d sleep on a mattress. Why are you coming to the bed?’

He felt his heart pounding loudly.

His head tingled and buzzed with the scent of fabric softener and Scarlet’s body odor from her recent shower.

“Hey, Kang Jinwoo.”

Suddenly, she whispered into his ear.

“You’re not sleeping, are you?”

It was a playful voice.

“Oh, you’re not answering, huh.”

Just as he was debating whether to answer or not, Scarlet’s finger poked his cheek.

“I know you’re not sleeping.”

“…”

“Hmph, alright, let’s see if you still don’t get up.”

Her finger moved down to his neck.

“…Why.”

“Pfft. How long have you been awake? Since before I came in?”

“I just woke up right now.”

“Liar. I could hear your heart pounding loudly.”

He couldn’t tell if she was talking about now or a moment ago.

“You said you’d sleep on a mattress, so of course, I was surprised when you suddenly got on the bed.”

“Now that I think about it. My bed is a double bed, you know? We could sleep together.”

As he started to sit up, she grabbed his shoulder.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to lay out the mattress and sleep there.”

“Aw, just sleep here.”

“I can’t sleep.”

You’ve ruined my sleep.

“You have more patience than I thought? You didn’t open the laundry room door?”

“Of course, I didn’t open it.”

“I thought you’d try to open it. If you can’t sleep, let’s talk a bit. Then you’ll be able to sleep.”

“How boring of a story are you planning to tell?”

Scarlet snorted and continued.

“It’s just that I’ve been thinking a lot about various things today.”

Her tone was unusually cautious.

“It’s been a while since I settled down in Terminus, but I’ve never seen anyone like you.”

“Anyone would think you’re a local guardian or something.”

Scarlet’s age in the game was only twenty-five.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t asked her age.’

Then, isn’t this an opportunity to find out how much earlier this current time is compared to the game’s setting?

“Scarlet. How old are you?”

“To ask a woman’s age so casually. If Kaien heard you, she would have flipped her eyes and cursed you out.”

Scarlet turned her body towards him and spoke.

“Curious?”

“Yeah.”

“You tell me first. Then I’ll tell you.”

“Twenty-two.”

“What! We’re the same age!”

So, this current point in time is three years before the game’s setting?

“Okay, I get it, so stop staring.”

“Why?”

“It’s just… like that.”

“Being too much of a gentleman isn’t good either, you know.”

Scarlet muttered and looked straight ahead at the ceiling again.

“Am I making you uncomfortable? Should I just go disappear onto that cold mattress on the floor? Huh?”

Her voice sounded somewhat sulky.

“That’s… not it…”

Should he comfort her?

Or… should he be more proactive…

“Jinwoo, where are you from? When you modified the mech, I knew you were from the Chronos Mercenary Group. But where did a pilot like you just drop in from?”

She changed the topic and asked.

He was silent for a moment. He couldn’t just openly say, ‘Actually, I came from another world, and this place is similar to the game world I used to play.’

He quickly thought of something to say.

“Well, I wasn’t trying to talk about your past. It’s just that you’re interesting.”

-Creak.

Scarlet turned her body away.

“Haaam, I’m sleepy. Good night.”

The conversation ceased, and silence fell.

Feeling Scarlet’s breathing become regular, he too began to fall asleep again.

The next morning, he opened his eyes to the faint light filtering through the workshop window.

His body felt refreshed, more so than he expected.

Looking beside him, Scarlet was already gone, presumably having woken up.

When he went out, she was sitting at the workbench.

“Oh, you’re up? Did you sleep well?”

“Thanks to you, I slept well.”

“Hmm. Really?”

Scarlet fiddled with a tool, then glanced at him from head to toe before fixing her gaze again.

“You’re going to meet that old geezer, Alexander Valentine, today, right?”

“I think so.”

“I’d like to go with you, but I have a mountain of work to do.”

Scarlet moved busily, rummaging through a drawer.

“Found it.”

She approached him.

“You’ll need this for self-defense.”

“A pistol?”

“It uses energy, so you don’t need bullets. Just be careful not to overuse it. Ten shots is the maximum limit.”

“Thanks, Scarlet.”

“Be careful, and remember what Kaien said. Don’t get too deeply involved. Hit and run, understand?”

“Understood.”

Just then, a message arrived from Valentine.

It contained the coordinates of his location.

‘The distance is quite far.’

It would take at least several tens of hours.

“I’ll get going.”

“Alright.”

Scarlet gave a small wave.