episode_0077

Splash –

Due to the late hour, the shower room was deserted.

Having no facilities for bathing, I had no choice but to drink a drop of blood and entered. Under the warm water pouring from the shower, I began to wash away the blood that had accumulated on my body.

“Ah… feels good…”

Perhaps they say that after hardship comes comfort for moments like this?

As the warm energy spread throughout my body, the foggy sensation faded, and my mind cleared.

I might feel a bit alive now.

Just a moment ago, I felt like I would pass out as soon as I lay down.

I came here to relieve the stress of daily life, but instead of being relieved, it feels like it’s piling up.

Feeling like someone might hear me, I started voicing my complaints in a soft voice, then slowly began to ponder over what had happened at the mansion.

“My body… feels strange.”

The arms tightly wrapped around my waist.

The warm body temperature felt on my back.

And the faint, fragrant scent wafting through the air.

Recalling the sensation when Jaehyuk held me, strangely, my heartbeat quickened.

“Why is this happening?”

It was just a suggestion to hold me for a moment out of concern for my well-being.

Even the return was a playful embrace.

I should consider it a joke.

I should just brush it off as usual.

Why does that light gesture keep bothering me?

“Ugh…!”

It feels like I’ve been hit by Jaehyuk.

I grimaced, glaring at myself in the mirror.

“…I don’t like it.”

Will washing my body with cold water make these thoughts disappear?

Turning the lever slightly to the right to make the water cooler, as the cool water flowed, my confused emotions gradually began to settle.

Yes, it must have been a temporary confusion caused by being too flustered.

You’ve been fine all this time, right? Isn’t that so?

I deliberately denied one possibility that came to mind and slowly rinsed off the soapy residue from my body.

“By the way, I’m starting to dread tomorrow.”

Although it was quite late, I decided to leave, but Hyeun’s face was full of mischief.

Perhaps she’ll tease me playfully while enjoying the barbecue party tomorrow?

I should explain that it was unavoidable to stop her from making insinuations.

Should I just explain it?

After a brief moment of contemplation, I left the shower room and calmly tidied myself up.

“Feels refreshing. I’ll probably sleep well.”

The remaining agenda until bedtime was just tossing and turning on the bed.

Thinking that I could finally heal a bit, I headed towards the tent.

As I staggered towards the tent, I saw Jaehyuk lying on the bed, jotting something down on a notepad.

Curious about what he was writing, I approached him and asked.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, I was contemplating a cocktail combination. I came up with a pretty good one.”

“Really? What ingredients are you using?”

“I’ll make it later. You can taste it and guess the ingredients… Ah-choo!”

His nose seemed ticklish as he sneezed a few times without finishing his sentence.

Concerned, I handed him a few tissues.

“Are you okay? You don’t look too good.”

“…I don’t know either. I think I’ll find out when I wake up tomorrow.”

“If it’s tough, don’t push yourself. Just let me know anytime, alright?”

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep. In that sense… Can I turn off the light? I’m tired and want to go to bed early.”

“I’ll do it for you. Just close your eyes and rest.”

“Thank you, really.”

Expressing gratitude unexpectedly, Jaehyuk covered himself with the blanket and fell asleep.

Was he very tired? Not long after, I heard the sound of him snoring.

I chuckled softly and turned off all the lights inside the tent.

“Sigh…”

The bed, incredibly plush compared to the makeshift bed in my room.

The fatigue I acquired from the haunted house didn’t completely dissipate; as I lay down, a languid sensation washed over me like a tide.

Overflowing with vitality myself, I wondered how exhausted Jaehyuk, just an ordinary human, must have been.

Watching the lad who slept so soundly that he wouldn’t even notice if carried away, I quietly turned my gaze towards the ceiling.

“…”

Something felt off.

It was unfamiliar.

Even though it wasn’t the first time sharing a bed, this awkwardness was unprecedented.

During my sophomore year of high school, we shared the same bed on a math trip to China.

We also slept together on our graduation trip with the same group.

Why did Jaehyuk sleeping next to me feel oddly unsettling today?

“This is driving me crazy, seriously.”

Muttering a curse under my breath, I turned over in the opposite direction.

…Still, it’s slightly less bothersome this way.

With the awkward feeling somewhat fading, I tried to drift off to sleep like that.

But that darn best friend of mine wouldn’t just let me be to achieve my goal.

“Ugh…”

“Huh!?”

Jaehyuk, rolling towards me like a tumbleweed, hugged me tightly as if I were a long-lost friend and began tickling my neck mercilessly with his warm breath.

Could it be that Yoon Jaehyuk isn’t pretending to play around while I’m asleep?

Filled with suspicion, I glanced at him, only to realize soon enough that it was merely an action taken absentmindedly in his sleep.

‘What should I do? If I move, I might wake him up?!’

Though my heart desired to break free immediately, any wrong move could lead to him waking up.

Helplessly, I had to wait for him to release me, eventually closing my eyes at the time I originally intended to sleep.

…Someday, I will definitely repay him for what happened today.

Listening to the rooster heralding the morning, I made that vow.

—–

Unlike the exhausting and dull first day, the second day turned out to be somewhat of a “healing journey.”

A healing journey ultimately aims to relieve negative emotions and stress experienced in everyday life.

Therefore, we each spent personal time in our own ways without bothering about what others were doing.

As evening approached, we gathered in front of the tent as planned to enjoy a barbecue party.

“We had a great time today, right, guys?”

“Yeah, it feels like a memory that will last a lifetime. What were you two up to? Just lying around in the hammocks all day?”

“I was too lazy to move. So, I roughly prepared for the barbecue and then rested.”

“…You’ll understand once you start working. Why we were just lounging around.”

After a brief conversation, we immediately started preparing for the barbecue.

There wasn’t much to do.

Just like the tent, the barbecue setup was already partially done.

Light the fire with a lighter, lightly prepare the ingredients brought along, place them on the grill, and you’re done.

Once everything was ready and the barbecue commenced, the delicious aroma soon wafted through, stimulating our appetites intensely.

“…Looks delicious.”

As if an angel spoke with a halo shimmering, everyone nodded in agreement.

Slice a well-cooked piece of pork belly, place it on a lettuce leaf, add a spoonful of rice, a bit of ssamjang, shiitake mushrooms, onions, and top it off with two or three cloves of fresh garlic?

…Gulp.

Was it a unanimous thought?

Amidst the sizzling sound of meat cooking, the audible swallowing sounds indicated everyone was salivating.

Perhaps due to being quite hungry, awkward laughter erupted shortly after.

Looking at each other, we chuckled before swiftly transitioning into a conversation.

“By the way, Eunhee, you’ve changed a lot, haven’t you? Where did the girl obsessed with dirty jokes go, and who’s this innocent angel now…?”

“Well, there’s no need for dirty jokes anymore, right? I’ve released all that pent-up energy… Hehe.”

“…Jung Hyun made a mistake. Hey, Seo Jung Hyun. You really need to treat Hye Eun well.”

“I’m already living with a repentant heart. Don’t interfere.”

An angel and a devil engaging in a fierce yet intriguing display of affection.

Tongues wagging, they make quite the pair, the angel mentioning yesterday’s events with a sinister smile.

“Hehe, your story seems much more interesting than ours, doesn’t it? So, what was that yesterday? An embrace of love?”

“…I-I just told you to hug me because I was worried your body temperature might drop! How can I stay still when you’re shivering like that!”

“Is that so~?”

“I-I’m burning! Let’s eat quickly! It won’t taste good if it burns, right?”

Fortunately, the ingredients were perfectly cooked at the right moment.

Following the recipe stored in my mind, I wrapped everything in a leaf and stuffed it into my mouth.

“This… This is amazing…”

Could there be anything happier than this?

Lost in the fantastic flavors dancing in my mouth, I couldn’t regain my composure.

Others seemed no different from me.

To fill their hungry stomachs with delicious food, everyone hastily devoured the ingredients on the grill.

“Mmm… That was really good…”

Having eaten something oily, a refreshing yet sweet mojito served as a palate cleanser.

After a truly perfect meal, we savored the blissful fullness while lounging in our chairs.

“This is healing, truly.”

The unease one should feel becoming a vampire.

The annoyance and anger caused by unwanted guests.

All other minor negative emotions dissipating refreshingly.

Smiling contentedly, the angel suggested a campfire.

“A camping trip isn’t complete without a barbecue and a campfire! I’ll bring firewood and a lighter!”

“I have something to bring too, so I’ll quickly go check on the tent.”

As for Hye Eun, what could Jung Hyun possibly be bringing that would make him wear such a foreboding expression?

Could it be the item he confidently mentioned before?

With an excited heart, we waited, and shortly after, the devil revealed something he had put on his hand.

“Isn’t that… that thing?”

A device seen multiple times even on variety shows.

A device that bestows carefree pleasure upon onlookers but heavy responsibility upon those subjected to it.

Its true identity was none other than…

…a lie detector.

That bastard had a reason to be so cocky.

Well, it should be fun.

In many ways.

For some reason, a sinister feeling crept in.

Quietly, I swallowed hard.