There were two official breaks on the ship each year—one in the first half and one in the second. It felt like the last holiday had just passed, but now another was already looming around the corner.
“I love August so much.”
“You just like any month with a holiday in it.”
Lee Seo-rim and Seol Young-jun, who had been bickering since morning, turned to look at me.
“What are your plans for the break, Team Leader? I just want to sleep all day at home.”
“Same here. I’m just planning to rest.”
Truthfully, I wanted to come to the lab because I was worried about Cat, but the facility would be sealed off during the break, making it impossible. If I didn’t see him for a few days, it would take forever to soothe his sulky mood later… I started the day feeling uneasy.
“I’ll be back in a few days, just like last time.”
Whimper, whine, rumble…
“Sorry. Make sure you eat well and stay healthy, okay?”
With my forehead and palms pressed to the barrier, I stared at Cat. He let out a miserable sound, gazing at me with moist, imploring eyes, as if asking whether I really intended to leave him behind.
“How touching.”
Sun Woosung, who had been watching us, commented in a dry tone. Feeling slightly awkward, I pulled away and turned to him.
“Are you taking time off too, Colonel?”
“Hard to say. If orders come down, I’ll have to leave the ship immediately, even during the break. We never know when or where the drones will detect something.”
“Ah.”
Seeing my expression, Sun Woosung added nonchalantly,
“Besides, when I’m not on a mission, it’s practically the same as being on break. So I don’t really need official holidays.”
Was my concern that obvious? I didn’t think I was particularly expressive, but lately, the people around me seemed to pick up on my emotions with uncanny accuracy. Feeling a little dazed, I simply nodded in response.
After Sun Woosung left the lab earlier than usual, I set the system to play a pre-recorded version of my voice through the observation room speakers at regular intervals. I also programmed the feeder to dispense Cat’s meals automatically. If something went wrong with the system, I’d get an alert right away, so I wasn’t too worried.
But Cat probably wouldn’t be satisfied unless he saw me in person… Still, this was the best I could do.
“Are you planning to stay longer, Team Leader?”
“We’ll stick around too!”
As it neared quitting time, my team members whispered upon seeing me still in the observation room. I shook my head immediately.
“You two should head out first. I’ll feel more at ease that way.”
“But Team Leader…”
“T-Team Leader.”
After hesitating for a while, they couldn’t bring themselves to defy me. In the end, we parted ways with well-wishes for a good holiday.
Cat, who had been growling behind me at the team members, shut his mouth once they left and it was just the two of us. Then he tilted his head and wagged his tail gently, seemingly confused that I was still around this late.
I chuckled quietly as I looked at him, clearly puzzled by my unusual behavior.
I spent some more time with him until lights out, then checked the security of the hallway and headed to my lab. Just as I was taking off my lab coat, a call came in from Min Yugeon.
“Yeah.”
—Congratulations on being a free man for a week. You didn’t forget about tomorrow, right?
It wasn’t completely out of the blue. Min Yugeon was on duty until tomorrow morning, and we had made plans to meet up after his shift. Not at home, but somewhere else.
“I didn’t forget. Is that why you called? To make sure?”
—Well, that… and I wanted to hear your voice?
I paused mid-motion as I reached for my bag.
This guy… could he know that I overheard his confession? Maybe I’m just overly conscious of it, but his tone and the way he speaks seemed subtly sweeter than usual.
Something tickled deep inside me, like I was getting goosebumps. I parted my lips, unsure of how to respond.
Then suddenly, a chill ran down the back of my neck. Instinctively, I whipped my head up—something had just flashed past the crack in the door I’d left open.
“…”
—Suho?
Min Yugeon’s voice called out, puzzled by my silence. But both his voice and the strange sensation felt familiar, not new. It wasn’t déjà vu—I’d definitely experienced this before.
“Who’s there?”
I raised my voice and looked around the lab for something I could use as a weapon. Not finding much, I grabbed a pen from the desk.
Keeping my footsteps quiet, I cautiously approached the door. There might be someone just outside, so I moved carefully.
When I got close enough to clearly see through the gap—
Knock knock.
Someone peeked their head around the door and said,
“Excuse me. The door was open…! Whoa, you scared me!”
“…!”
The Equipment Team Leader?
The distance between us was so close that both he and I froze, eyes wide in shock.
“Team Leader Choi, what brings you here… Ah. I’m sorry, just a moment.”
Realizing something, I turned around and checked my watch. The call was still active.
“Min Yugeon, can you hear me?”
—What’s going on?
He answered immediately, his voice low, laced with concern and unease. I felt guilty, thinking my tense atmosphere must have carried over to him.
“It’s nothing. Someone just dropped by the lab.”
—…You’re still at the lab, not home?
“Yeah. I’ll call you later.”
Min Yugeon sighed in relief and agreed to end the call. It was late—much too late—so it made sense he thought I was already home. If someone had shown up at my place at this hour and I was acting strange, he’d be justified in being alarmed.
“Sorry for peeking in like that. One of the lights by the entrance to Sector B went out, so I was checking it out, and from there I saw this door was the only one open. I figured you might’ve left it that way by mistake on your way out.”
Once it seemed like I’d finished the call, the Equipment Team Leader explained with an apologetic expression. In short, he had come by to close the door for me. I nodded in acknowledgment.
“It’s all right. More importantly… you’re working pretty hard, staying this late.”
Come to think of it, the Equipment Team was always busiest before and after holidays, even more than during important events or demonstrations. They had to thoroughly inspect the systems that would keep running while the entire lab staff was away.
“Oh, well, same goes for you, Team Leader Seo.”
He smiled, appreciative of the recognition. I lifted the corners of my lips in response, then glanced down both ends of the empty corridor.
“By the way, did you happen to see anyone else in the hallway?”
“Sorry?”
The Equipment Team Leader blinked.
“No, it was just me. Was someone supposed to come by?”
I remained silent for a moment. Claiming I sensed someone when no one was there would just sound like delusion. If I said I wanted to check the security footage, I’d only delay his already-late departure with that tired look on his face.
In the end, I simply shook my head.
“No. Well then, I’ll be heading out now.”
“Ah, yes! Have a safe trip home. Enjoy the break!”
After parting ways with the Equipment Team Leader, I left the lab. As I exchanged farewells with the soldiers stationed at their posts, I felt the tension slowly drain from my body.
I must’ve overreacted.
***
…Was there a place like this on the ship?
Early that morning, I stepped off the train on the opposite side of the residential sector and looked around as I headed toward the location Min Yugeon had shared. It wasn’t a restricted zone, yet the area was completely empty—no buildings, no people, just dead silence.
“Seo Suho!”
A voice called from behind. I stopped and turned around to see Min Yugeon running toward me with a bright smile. He had just gotten off work, yet showed no signs of exhaustion.
“You got here fast.”
“Well… just worked out that way.”
“You got off late last night—aren’t you tired?”
His concern caught me off guard, and I nudged his chest lightly with my elbow. As the distance between us closed, Min Yugeon suddenly wrapped his arms around my upper body and held me tight. Still hugging me, he started walking, guiding me along.
“Come on. It’s this way.”
As we walked, a fenced-off area came into view. At the gate, Min Yugeon pulled out an access card from his pocket and scanned it. After completing both facial and fingerprint recognition, the door finally opened with a heavy, echoing rumble.
Gu-gu-gu-goong…
I watched the massive gate slowly open, its weight matching its grandeur, then turned to Min Yugeon.
“…Are you sure I’m allowed in here?”
“It’s fine if you’re with an engineer who has access. Don’t worry.”
Smiling, he gently pushed my back.
Not long after, enormous fuel tanks came into view, lined up in neat rows. As he explained that they were for fuel storage, I looked around with wide eyes, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sight.
Min Yugeon, watching me curiously taking it all in, led me to an elevator located at the central axis of the tanks. The elevator had a transparent front—probably meant for viewing the entire setup from above.
But how far does this go? As I stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought, he stepped inside first and tapped the spot beside him with his chin.
“Step right in.”
“Where are we going?”
Narrowing my eyes, I stepped inside. He laughed as he pressed one of the buttons, which were labeled by meter increments.
“Mm… To somewhere I hope you’ll like.”
