Ch.123A Brief Rest – 2

In the afternoon, there was swimming in the pool, and in the evening, a barbecue party.

The staff at the villa seemed to have put a lot of effort into the barbecue party in particular.

Not only were the barbecue ingredients well-prepared, but even the charcoal they used screamed luxury.

“Wow… Arbiter. Does meat always melt in your mouth like this?”

Facing an endless feast of meat that kept coming no matter how much they ate.

Hyunwoo Lee continued to devour everything without stopping, as if he were filming some eating show.

Hey. Anyone watching would think you’ve never eaten meat before, you fool.

I know the Academy cafeteria serves excellent food too, so why are you taking this so seriously?

Honestly, meat is delicious no matter when, where, what, or how you eat it.

All meat should melt in your mouth, but this time is definitely different.

Maybe it’s because it was prepared by the riverside, but the texture when chewing is distinctly different.

“Haha! What’s with you, junior! Anyone would think you’re eating meat for the first time!”

“I know, right? How can you keep eating so much?”

“It melts in your mouth, so of course it goes down smoothly!”

“Of course meat melts in your mouth! Don’t you know that saying? When you’re feeling down, go where the meat is!”

“Oh, I’ve never heard that before, but it’s so true! When you’re feeling down, go where the meat is! That’s amazing!”

These people who will later accomplish incredible feats. Hyunwoo Lee, Hana Kang, and Dasom Yoo.

For future heroes, their conversation seems… how should I put it… a bit off-brand.

Even if it’s not extremely important, I expected them to talk about the upcoming situation.

But suddenly they’re singing praises about meat, which feels, how should I say, quite out of place.

Perhaps the image I unconsciously had in mind was of a protagonist party engaged in deep discussion.

Considering how rapidly the world is changing, this seems rather trivial…

No, that’s not right. Given their age, this is actually normal. Laughing and chatting like this is natural.

Just because the world is in turmoil doesn’t mean everyone needs to be depressed and tense.

‘Besides, there’s no need to dwell on the severity of the situation all the way out here.’

As Soohyun said, and as I mentioned before, rest is important.

These brief moments of respite help recharge our will and strength to fight.

It’s not just physical rest, but also to recover from mental fatigue.

Even I’m starting to feel more relaxed doing this.

“We’ll take care of the cleanup. Guests, please go inside and rest.”

After dinner, staff who had been waiting somewhere appeared.

They stopped me and the others from cleaning up and began doing it themselves.

Just watching made me feel guilty, so I tried to help a little, but they frantically refused.

They said this was their job and there was absolutely no need for me to worry about it.

They added that if I helped, they would have nothing to do, so they would just accept my goodwill.

“Still, let me help a little bit.”

“Oh my. It’s really fine…”

“I’m not used to just watching while others work. Um, these are recyclables, right? I’ll just help with this much.”

I don’t know about others, but I find this quite uncomfortable.

The things I’ve eaten and drunk from—I feel better if I clean up at least some of it.

Even at restaurants, I always wipe up anything I spill before leaving.

Peculiar? Well, I admit it. I can accept being called overly particular.

Honestly, sometimes I find myself frustrating too.

“Arbiter? Why are you…”

As I was walking with recyclables in hand, I ran right into Soohyun.

Judging by her expression, she wanted to ask, “Why are you doing such work?”

Worried that the staff might get in trouble later, I quickly explained.

“I insisted on cleaning this up myself. The staff definitely didn’t ask for help, so don’t worry. I just believe in cleaning up at least some of my own mess.”

“Should I have helped too?”

“No, no. I was just about to throw this away and go in.”

They are the staff of the Kang estate, and Soohyun is the granddaughter of Minseong Kang, the owner.

There’s absolutely no reason for Soohyun to do such work. It would only make the staff uncomfortable.

“Give me that. Let’s carry it together.”

Before I could say it was fine, Soohyun quickly grabbed what was in my left hand.

I didn’t resist further and headed to the recycling area with her.

“How was your day?”

As we finished recycling and washed our hands at the sink, Soohyun asked.

This sudden retreat at the villa—she was asking how it had been.

I answered honestly, without any exaggeration.

“It was great, of course.”

“Was it?”

“Yes. The villa facilities are amazing, dinner was excellent, and I feel like I’m truly experiencing what ‘rest’ means for the first time in ages. It’s all thanks to you, Soohyun. Thank you so much.”

“I’m glad. That you said that.”

Then a moment of silence. Soohyun stood beside me, just washing her hands.

Glancing at her, it seemed like she still had something to say.

I couldn’t tell what she wanted to say.

Just as I was thinking I should ask her directly…

“Um… Arbiter.”

Finally, Soohyun opened her mouth again and continued.

“I… I have one more question.”

“What is it?”

“…How was it?”

Huh? Suddenly asking how it was. Without a subject, how am I supposed to know what she means?

I looked at Soohyun with that question in mind, and her face turned slightly red.

“I mean… earlier… at the swimming pool.”

“Oh.”

“How… how was it? My… my swimsuit.”

…Ah. Aaah. Aaaah! Seojin Baek, you idiot! Pay attention!

Why would Soohyun wear such an aggressive outfit if not for you to notice!

Like a fool. I should have said something about it earlier.

“Ahem. Well, it suited you very well.”

“Did it?”

“Yes. Actually, I was too embarrassed to mention it, but since you’re asking, I’ll tell you honestly. The truth is… you looked prettier than Rina.”

Somehow I ended up seeing both Rina’s underwear and Soohyun’s swimsuit.

And my purely subjective opinion is…

To be completely honest, they’re both beautiful. It’s impossible to rank them.

Even if I had to choose just one, I couldn’t decide.

But that’s only when both are present, or both are absent.

When only one is present, like now, the right thing to do is to unconditionally support that one person.

“…Hehe.”

Fortunately, my answer seemed to please her greatly, as Soohyun started grinning.

Unable to contain her joy, she clung to my side and kept smiling.

If I had thoughtlessly said something stupid like “you were both pretty”… ugh. I don’t even want to imagine.

*

I’ve felt this since I first got my room assignment, but it’s really spacious—too spacious.

For just one person, there’s a living room, bedroom, separate bathroom and shower.

Plus two dressing rooms—it feels more like a luxury hotel than a villa.

Just one day. Well, technically just a few hours.

But those few hours have been enough to heal both body and mind.

Is this why people talk about “hotel vacations”? It’s surprisingly therapeutic.

Knock knock—

“Arbiter?”

I got up from the bed and opened the door to find Soohyun in comfortable clothes.

“Can we… talk for a moment?”

“Talk?”

“Yes. Oh, if you’re tired, we can do it later…”

It’s no problem. So I threw on a shirt and left the room.

“What did you want to talk about, Soohyun?”

After sitting on a bench and reading the atmosphere for a moment, I asked.

From the mood, it seemed like she wanted to have a serious conversation.

“There’s something I’ve been wondering about.”

“Something you’re wondering about?”

“Yes. I’ve wanted to ask you, but I was a bit scared. Until now, I couldn’t bring myself to ask.”

After saying that, Soohyun suddenly stared at me intently.

Her eyes were sparkling so much that it felt a bit burdensome.

More importantly, she said she wanted to ask but was a bit scared.

I couldn’t quite grasp what Soohyun wanted to ask me.

“Starting from when you first saved me, and continuing after that. Constantly, endlessly. You’ve been paying so much attention to me. Even with Rina around… you look at me more than her.”

Soohyun swallowed hard once and continued.

“Is that… because my grandfather asked you to?”

“Huh?”

“If not that… is it because I’m my grandfather’s granddaughter? Is that why you’re paying so much attention to me?”

Hearing that, I finally understood.

Why she said it was scary. Which part had frightened her.

“So Soohyun, you’re wondering… if I’m paying attention to you because you’re Chairman Minseong Kang’s granddaughter. Is that what you’re curious about?”

“…Yes.”

I noticed Soohyun’s voice trembled slightly as she gave her final answer.

She had feelings for someone and thought they might reciprocate.

But what if it was just an illusion? What if the other person was just showing “kindness” because of something beyond her?

That’s what Soohyun seemed to be worried about.

“No.”

So I could answer without a moment’s hesitation.

No. The reason I pay attention to you is definitely not that.

“No?”

“Yes. No. Even if you weren’t Chairman Minseong Kang’s granddaughter, I would have acted exactly the same way.”

At first, it was simply to eliminate The Crimson Witch, who was the worst villain.

For that reason alone, I protected Soohyun from Hyuk Kwak’s clutches.

I did it to save innocent people who would lose their lives because of her.

But what about now? Am I still concerned about the villain “The Crimson Witch”?

‘No. I’m not.’

What I’m worried about now is not the villain “The Crimson Witch,” but the person Kim Soohyun.

She’s originally more delicate and warm than anyone, and could become an excellent ability user.

I worry about her. I protect her. And I want to see her happy.

Not dying alone, fighting while hating the world and people.

But mixing with the world, laughing with people, and living in harmony with comrades.

“Really… are you? Is that really, really true?”

“Yes. Really. I just like you, Soohyun. That’s why I’m doing this.”

How could I keep acting this way without any affection?

Even if it’s not as much as how Soohyun looks at me, I definitely have feelings for her too.

I like that this person likes me. I’m grateful when she smiles in front of me.

“Arbiter.”

Perhaps my sincerity reached her a little. Soohyun calls me again.

Her trembling voice has calmed down considerably. The smile that had disappeared is returning.

“If that’s true… if you’re really doing this for me… could you close your eyes for a moment?”

Without hesitation, I closed my eyes immediately.

Whatever she’s planning to do, it doesn’t matter. It’s Soohyun. Surely she won’t harm me…

‘Oh.’

Something very warm and incredibly soft pressed against my lips.