The End of the Path We’ve Walked (5)
Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung, who had handed the artifact back to the support team, led us – who were frozen in surprise – toward the interior of the island. She explained that this island was called Dragon Cave Island because it had a cave where an imugi (a Korean mythological serpent) that had suddenly become a dragon had hidden itself, afraid of its own reflection in the lake and unable to ascend to heaven.
We followed Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung and stood on a wide field. There was no sign of the cave where the dragon supposedly hid. After positioning us at a suitable spot, Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung signaled to the raid support team. Without any hesitation, they set up the artifact according to her instructions. Then, a white door, just large enough for two people to enter side by side, appeared in the field.
Since there was no building or tent visible behind the door that could be presumed to be accommodations, everyone’s eyes were clouded with questions.
Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung, as if fully aware of our curiosity, explained with a smiling face.
“You all seem disappointed. But once you open the door and enter, your thoughts will change significantly. Because beyond this door, in an invisible space, are the accommodations.”
“Are you saying that the space is separated from Earth, like a dungeon?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then… does that mean the door is the only passage connected to that space?”
Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung nodded. At that moment, Yoon Seon-hoo the Esper raised his hand and asked with a cheerful smile.
“Deputy Minister, what happens if the only passage, the door, breaks? Would we be trapped inside?”
“The door won’t break. It’s been presented to you after undergoing high-intensity tests in various conditions and environments.”
“Ah, I see. Hearing your words does reassure me.”
“Of course. There’s nothing to worry about regarding safety.”
Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung had said this and was about to turn and open the door when:
“But Deputy Minister, what if the door really doesn’t open or gets damaged?”
It was Yoon Seon-hoo the Esper asking again. His younger brother, Yoon Seon-ho the Esper, was swallowing a sigh with a face that seemed to wonder why his brother was behaving this way. He appeared worried that Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung might get upset due to his brother’s persistent questions.
But Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung answered in a voice tinged with amusement this time as well.
“I said the door is the only passage connected to the separate space, not that there’s only one door.”
“So you’re saying there are multiple doors? Is that right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Those who had been watching the conversation between Yoon Seon-hoo the Esper and Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung with bated breath sparkled their eyes. It seemed that quite a few people had been worried about the fact that there was only one door, even though they hadn’t asked directly like Yoon Seon-hoo the Esper. Despite the various tests the door had undergone, the concern was natural.
After all, it was an artifact they were seeing for the first time today and had never used before, so it was natural to worry about its utility and safety. Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung, having finished her answer, gripped the doorknob. Everyone watched with bated breath as the white door opened.
The door opened smoothly without a single creaking sound. Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung stepped through the door, beyond which bright light poured out as if emitted from a lamp. And we followed the Deputy Minister inside.
The accommodations prepared inside the artifact were truly impressive. They were sophisticated, spacious, and large enough to rival a hotel. There were various spaces including a dining room, bedrooms arranged with two people per room, a Guiding room, and more. There was even a conference room. It was virtually no different from a mobile business hotel. It was a facility that made it perfectly understandable why we had come to the island a day early.
The team members, each assigned a room, scanned every corner of the hotel with interested eyes. Sa Hae-geon, who was to share a room with me, followed close behind me with a satisfied smile. Until yesterday, he had been cautious about physical contact with me, but perhaps his tension had eased as he kissed me as soon as we entered the room.
I moved my steps while touching my lips, which still seemed to feel Sa Hae-geon’s body heat.
Although it was a space separated from Earth, we could check the time through the watches we had brought and the windows in the building. Before long, the sunset faded and a dim night arrived. After a simple dinner at 8 o’clock, Sa Hae-geon and I returned straight to our room. Since the expected time for the dungeon appearance was around 10 a.m. tomorrow, we planned to lie down early to prepare for tomorrow.
After washing up and changing into simple indoor clothes, the time was approaching 9 o’clock. I lay down on the left bed close to the window and covered myself with the blanket. Sa Hae-geon, who had turned off the lights and returned to his place, stood by the side of the bed where I lay and blinked quietly.
“…What?”
“Are you going to sleep alone?”
“The bed is narrow.”
“Wouldn’t it be fine if we slept holding each other?”
“What if you get a stiff shoulder?”
Sa Hae-geon pouted at my words and headed for the remaining bed. I thought he would just lie down quietly. But he pushed his bed toward mine. Under Sa Hae-geon’s touch, the two beds easily joined together.
“You…”
As I couldn’t continue my words and just moved my lips, Sa Hae-geon shrugged and replied.
“As long as we’re not lying on just one bed, it’s fine, right?”
After speaking audaciously, Sa Hae-geon lay down on his bed and turned to look at me. I wanted to scold him slightly for using strength for such a thing, but seeing Sa Hae-geon’s eyes shining with joy, I was at a loss for words. Besides, I didn’t dislike sleeping close to him either.
Sa Hae-geon silently approached me, who had closed my eyes, and firmly held my hand. The body heat felt under the palm of my hand holding his seemed particularly hot today.
Early in the morning, my eyes snapped open even before the set alarm went off. Just as I was about to raise my arm to stretch, the familiar body heat in my hand naturally made me turn my head to the left. Sa Hae-geon was asleep with his long, thick eyelashes lowered.
I gazed at Sa Hae-geon’s face, who was sleeping straight in a proper posture, and poked his cheek with the index finger of my free left hand. This created a deep furrow between Sa Hae-geon’s eyebrows. Soon, his long eyelashes fluttered and his eyelids opened. The deep blue eyes that had been hidden inside stared blankly into space.
“Hae-geon.”
At my quiet call, Sa Hae-geon turned his head toward me. His lips twitched as he blinked for a while, seemingly still not fully awake.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. I slept well. How about you?”
“…I think I slept well too.”
Sa Hae-geon, who responded in a low, husky voice, extended his right hand to fiddle with my cheek before raising his upper body. Due to our joined hands, I had no choice but to raise my body as well. Sa Hae-geon, who tightly embraced my body that had sat up following him, checked the clock placed on the bedside table.
“It’s 6:21.”
It seemed I had woken up earlier than I thought. Once we entered the dungeon, we wouldn’t be able to rest properly, so I wondered if it would be better for Sa Hae-geon to sleep a bit more to conserve energy. As I looked at him worriedly, Sa Hae-geon tilted his head to the side and mumbled.
“What are you thinking about so much?”
“Just wondering if we should sleep a bit more.”
“Are you still sleepy?”
“No. Not me, you.”
Sa Hae-geon blinked at my words and then raised the corners of his mouth gently. He looked at me with eyes full of affection and said.
“I like that you’re so caring toward me.”
I too swallowed the words that I liked being able to be caring toward you and silently held Sa Hae-geon’s hand.
In the end, Sa Hae-geon and I, having decided not to sleep more and get up, tidied the bed and left the room. The long corridor was quiet. It seemed the others hadn’t woken up yet. We briefly exchanged glances and then tiptoed down the stairs.
As Sa Hae-geon and I came down to the floor where the dining room was located, we encountered Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung and Jong-hyeok hyung who were conversing. Is there something they need to discuss separately at such an early hour? So there was indeed a reason why hyung’s expression had been serious yesterday.
“…Ah, you’re up early.”
Jong-hyeok hyung, who had noticed us, greeted us in a blunt voice. Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung, who had been facing the other way, also turned and smiled at us.
“Are you unable to sleep because you’re nervous? You didn’t have trouble sleeping, did you?”
“No, we just went to bed early so we woke up early. Our condition is fine.”
“That’s good. Since every bit of strength is valuable, managing your condition is important.”
After saying this, Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung said she would go up first and ascended the stairs. I grabbed Jong-hyeok hyung’s wrist as he was about to follow the Deputy Minister. Jong-hyeok hyung turned to look at me with wide eyes.
“Hyung.”
As if knowing what I was about to say, hyung frowned and averted his gaze. Has something so serious happened that he needed to talk with Deputy Minister Han Yoon-jung alone? As I narrowed my eyes and looked at him, Jong-hyeok hyung glanced up at the upper floor before letting out a sigh. Since he seemed troubled, I took the initiative and asked.
“Is it confidential?”
“Yes.”
“So I shouldn’t know about it?”
“Hmm.”
Hyung answered ambiguously. Whether it meant I could hear about it or not… Jong-hyeok hyung scratched his cheek before opening his mouth.
“It’s not that I can’t tell you guys. It’s because someone might hear.”
Is there something that would be problematic if others heard it? The more I heard, the more puzzled I became. As I tilted my head, Jong-hyeok hyung took out a notebook and pen from his pocket and scribbled something. After a moment, Jong-hyeok hyung, having put a period in the notebook, handed it to us.
[There’s someone with a suspicious wavelength in the raid team.]
Someone with a suspicious wavelength? Sa Hae-geon and I looked at Jong-hyeok hyung with trembling pupils.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
