episode_0086

Throughout the subway ride, Lina kept teasing me relentlessly.

“Wow, what’s this? Cha Yujin is totally dead. Look at Aile Chloe, so girly! Perfect outfit for a visit to your childhood friend!”

“Hey, tone it down.”

“What? Look at you crossing your legs in a mini skirt. Learning all these naughty things… Oh no?!”

Getting annoyed by her constant poking, I grabbed Lina’s headlock and pulled her close, tightening my grip.

“Do you want to die? The title of the character who killed a god is starting to sound tempting. What do you think?”

“Alright, I get it. Stop it! Are you trying to show your panties?”

Lina struggled to break free, but I had her pinned down. I pulled her face close to my chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

“Die buried in my chest. Self-proclaimed god.”

“Cough, wheeze, I-I’m not a self-proclaimed god! Sniff…”

Despite the commotion, more envious glances were thrown our way rather than disapproving ones, which was ironic. But anyway, I figured this was enough to snap her out of it.

Yeongchang was located in the outskirts of the city, so we had to take the subway for quite a while. Naturally, I had to engage in various conversations with Lina, whether I liked it or not.

“Lina, what is Yeongchang like? If you’re a god, you should know everything.”

“It’s just a place where you sit inside bars all day. The really heinous ones are kept in separate facilities, and Yeongchang feels more like a temporary detention center where you can get to know each other after a few days.”

“Do you know how Rager is doing?”

“Of course.”

“Any problems?”

Lina smiled slyly and kept her answer vague.

“Secret.”

“What’s so secretive about that information?”

“Hehe, why are you so concerned about Rager? Well, if you think about your husband suffering in a distant place…”

“W-what are you talking about!”

Sensing a misunderstanding, I tried to clarify.

“It’s not a big deal, I was just testing to see if you really are a god. It was just a joke, don’t think too much about it. It wouldn’t be strange to ask about Rager’s well-being instead of Yuju, right?”

“Okay, okay. But why are you so desperate to deny it? It’s either yes or no. The more you deny, the more suspicious~”

I nodded calmly and wondered why she kept tapping her ankle so annoyingly. I wanted to squeeze her once.

“Should I tell you how Rager is doing?”

“…Shut up. Don’t talk to me.”

I pushed away Lina’s hand and focused on drawing on my tablet.

Is my outfit really that strange?

I just happened to pick up an off-shoulder knit while buying several clothes at once. And I only wore the mini skirt because of the tail.

If I had bought pants and had them altered, it would have cost extra. Hm.

…Maybe I’m overthinking it because of one comment. I wonder what Rager would say if he saw me like this.

– Woohyo! This is a complete seduction set! I’ll kill you in my dreams today, so get ready…

“You crazy bastard.”

Thinking about our usual banter, I started to feel scared that he might actually say that. It would have been better to wear sweatpants for comfort, even if it meant sacrificing some dignity. I regretted it too late.

Actually, exchanging such sexual banter is not just for a day or two, and casually switching to something stronger would end it, but that’s our usual way of conversing.

Thinking that he would approach as usual, hmm… for some reason, I felt a bit disappointed.

It’s strange.

‘What exactly did you do to me?’

I bit my lip and focused on the sketch.

With tension in the hand holding the pencil, the lines were drawn too forcefully.

*

After getting off the subway and walking along Sinjak Road for about 20 minutes, a guard post resembling an army sentry post appeared.

It felt strict with the iron-barred gate blocking the entrance.

The guards standing in front must be strict as well.

Without hesitation, Lena approached and spoke.

“I’m here for a visit.”

“Did you make a prior appointment?”

“Yes. With Lager Godin and Yuju Taylor.”

“Just a moment.”

One of the guards on duty at the sentry post took out a phone and made a call somewhere. Probably to the command and control room.

The call ended quickly.

The guard opened the door and pointed inside.

“Inside, the left side is the women’s detention center, and the right side is the men’s detention center. There is no set order, so feel free to go as you please, and someone will guide you inside.”

“Thank you.”

As we entered, the iron-barred gate closed tightly again.

Inside the quiet barracks, the fog seemed thicker today, giving off a mysterious feeling.

“Shall we start with Yuju?”

Lena asked, and I deliberately shook my head.

“No. Let’s see Yuju first.”

“Why? Don’t you want to see her?”

“It’s not that.”

“Lager will be waiting.”

“He definitely won’t.”

That guy waiting for me?

…Maybe he could be waiting. He’s been singing that he likes me for a while now.

“Then, shall we go there first? Lager might be waiting, but he often says silly things. In times like this, we need to choose a method like this, right?”

Even as I spoke, I found my own behavior ridiculous.

Why am I talking so much?

Lena also looked at me with that expression and smiled awkwardly.

“Alright~”

Darn it.

The men’s detention center was a white building. The building was small, and there was a shabby lobby in front. There were two doors at the back of the lobby, with a sign that read ‘Visitation Room’ on the left door and ‘Detention Room’ on the right door.

So Lager is in that ‘Detention Room.’

Feeling a bit melancholic at the thought that Lager is suffering in the place where I should be.

“The visitor here to meet the detainee Lager Godin, correct?”

The guard at the lobby, who was taking the reception, was a woman wearing glasses. Her sharp impression matched the nature of her work.

As we nodded, she turned around and headed towards the right door, pointing us towards the left door.

“If you go in that direction, I will bring the detainee to you.”

We nodded and entered through the left door.

Inside, it resembled the visitation room of a prison often seen in movies. Divided into two spaces by a transparent barrier, we were going to talk to Lager through the holes in the wall.

The building was cold, probably due to winter. Breath appeared white, and hands began to feel numb.

Have I really spent a week in a place like this?

And am I going to spend another week here?

Will the hot water work properly?

I hope the bathroom isn’t unhygienic.

Will the food be good? If they force-feed me food that’s about to spoil, I’ll be really upset.

Am I wearing proper clothes? If I don’t change my underwear properly, it will smell. How will I do laundry? Are the bedding and pillows decently provided? If the bed is uncomfortable, I’ll be tired all day.

The longer the waiting time dragged on, the more questions piled up in her mind. Her thoughts became tangled, and her heart grew increasingly anxious.

Even though Lena said it would be fine.

But what if it’s not fine?

Should she have visited Yooju first to prepare her heart a bit?

At that moment when her restless heart couldn’t calm down and she was trembling with anxiety.

With a clink, accompanied by a dry sound of footsteps.

Lager entered.

Her neatly arranged hair, which she had styled into two blocks, was slightly messy and her beard had grown quite a bit.

Seeing Lager leisurely rubbing his eyes as if he had slept well, and noticing that his hands were not tied up.

Lager slowly approached and sat down.

It had been a week since I last faced Lager.

What should I say first?

But my mouth stayed shut.

All the countless thoughts I had just had disappeared as if my tongue had frozen and my mind had gone blank.

What should I do?

Is he here to taunt me?

Then Lager.

Smiling gently, he spoke to me first.

“You look beautiful today.”

Ah.

Ah….

You, you little…

In an instant, all the words I had prepared in my mind, all the worries and fears.

They all turned into tears, flowing down my cheeks.

I don’t know why the tears suddenly came.

I don’t know why my throat feels so tight.

Without a chance to clear my whitened mind.

I struggled, desperately squeezing out one word.

“…I missed you.”

“Me too.”

Lager smiled.