SWNOVELXO Chapter 109
“Tomorrow’s the day we head to Busan for training, yet here I am, wide awake!”
If you’re wondering why, it’s because I’ve been scrolling through music sites trying to find a song that’s both easy enough for me to sing and good enough to impress the kids.
And if you’re asking why I suddenly care about music, well, it’s because of them.
The kids suggested we gather at night during our training to sing together.
It wasn’t exactly a mandatory event; there wouldn’t be penalties for skipping out. They’re not that kind of group.
Still, I didn’t want to miss out. If I bowed out, I’d ruin the vibe, plus I’d feel awkward about it. Ageha would definitely be singing along.
…When did I start worrying about what others think? Lost in my own thoughts, I suddenly found a song that was quite embarrassing when I checked the title.
The lyrics were… What kind of song is that doing on a major site when it really should be hidden away?
Frustrated, I kicked the wall, only to have the old guy next door yell at me about what the fuss was at this hour.
Why was he shouting like that when it was just a little noise?
Not backing down, I mumbled my confusing thoughts and then covered the wall with slime, turning it into a makeshift soundproof booth.
Not hearing me is the least of your worries, I thought as I squeezed out some of my remaining lifespan to make loud noises just to mess with him.
After a few banging sounds to vent my anger, I felt a little calmer.
But soon enough, the despair hit again. Seriously, is there not one song I could sing? Should I really just sing a nursery rhyme like Lapiz suggested?
Others might scoff at how trivial my worries are, but to me, it was a big deal. Should I sing a kids’ song or just admit I can’t sing anything?
It felt too trivial to bother the boss with.
And part of me felt like I’d be wasting their time; they wouldn’t take my dilemma seriously.
Is it reputation or dignity on the line here…?
Sigh, really, why am I even stressing over this? This relationship will end by the end of the semester anyway.
…But deep down, I kinda hoped it wouldn’t. I wanted to keep attending the Academy with them and maybe change the world together.
But then again, who knows if we could even change the world together? With high chance, we probably couldn’t. Changing Heros Company within the bounds of the law? But the very laws are made by Heros Company itself.
So, logically, I had to accept that the Liberators had the right approach. You can’t revive a tree that’s rotting all the way to the roots.
It’s all about uprooting it and planting a new one in its place.
But in my heart, I just wanted to stay with them. Because they…
They are… my precious…
– – – –
The outskirts referred to the area outside the city. And the outskirts were dangerous.
The road is outside the city, not within it. So, there was no land route to Busan.
Heros Company was trying hard to connect the cities with roads, but even by their standards, it was no easy feat.
The outskirts were heavily fortified with military installations, Heroes, and Hunters all set up to fend off Monsters coming in.
So in this world, to travel even short distances, you had to fly.
Of course, there were some highways. A few here and there.
The direct route between Seoul and Heros City was one such example.
But even that short road saw accidents happen often enough that if ten cars started, only seven would typically arrive.
Monster attacks, road damage, and gate disappearances due to safety zone malfunctions were all various culprits.
Yet the reason they still maintained that road was mostly out of stubborn pride.
You know, that feeling where you insist everything’s fine when it clearly isn’t.
That’s why they continued despite it being more of a loss, since otherwise, they’d be utterly humiliated.
Teleporters exist, but they’re still in the testing phase.
About 30% of the items sent through get shredded, and another 20% just vanish entirely, so teleporters are strictly used for transporting goods.
Even Heros Company wouldn’t ask the kids to use something so dangerous.
It’s a different story for prisoners, though—you bet they use them for that.
“A plane, huh? It’s my first time flying… a bit scary…”
“No need to worry too much, Yeonhwa. Once you get used to it, it’ll feel as comfortable as riding in a car,”
“R-really? A-ageha…? But…it’s unnerving to think about being off the ground, don’t you think?”
The airport, which had been wrecked by a Suicide attack, was restored, and you’d hardly know it had ever been damaged.
They must have used advanced technology, but honestly, I thought a lot of it was thanks to Lapiz’s parents or her grandmother.
Would Lapiz also end up working in that field someday? I responded to her question.
“It depends on the altitude, right, Lapiz? But usually, people don’t freak out about being off the ground.”
“I found it scary, though.”
“…Usually, I mean.”
“So I’m not usual?”
“Umm… that’s not what I meant, but you don’t usually get scared just by jumping up and down, right?”
Taking in Seolhwa’s sharp pitch, I subtly asked if it was because of her bloodline.
“Maybe so…”
Lapiz initially denied it, but when I brought up her heritage and abilities, she reluctantly admitted it could be true.
“I-I’m not going to suddenly fall, right?!”
“Come on, a plane built to hold a hundred isn’t going to drop because you two extra passengers got on board. That’s just too much worry, Lapiz.”
Cinema-ing Lapiz’s wild worries kept us occupied until it was almost time to board.
“Oh, right. You do know you have to take off your shoes when you get on a plane, right, Lapiz?”
“W-what?! Even I know that’s just ridiculous…”
“No way, really?!”
Lapiz jumped in fright when she thought I was serious, especially as Yeonhwa suddenly got excited, causing her to leap back.
As I winked at Lapiz, she appeared confused, but it seemed like she somewhat understood my intention as the chaos surrounding us faded.
“Of course, Yeonhwa. It’s basic etiquette. I panicked too when I learned it for the first time!”
Starting a tall tale without even wetting my lips, Yeonhwa immediately turned to Jinhyeon and asked if it was true.
But Jinhyeon had no idea, and Lapiz stayed quiet, while Ageha cleverly mixed a half-truth with lies, saying, “It exists, but it’s not strictly necessary.”
So, naturally, it made sense that Yeonhwa fell for it.
Just before stepping onto the plane, Yeonhwa started to take off her shoes, perplexed when a flight attendant asked what she was doing.
“Huh? Oh, um… I was told I had to take off my shoes when boarding a plane?”
“Oh my.”
With a short exclamation, the attendant laughed, saying she’d never seen someone who genuinely believed that before, then quickly tried to compose herself.
“You don’t need to take off your shoes when boarding a plane, ma’am.”
“…Blanca? Were you pulling my leg??”
“No, I honestly didn’t think you would take me seriously. I thought the others would let you in on it.”
Yeonhwa glared at me fiercely but, after hearing my defense, turned her attention back to her friends, accusing them of deceiving her.
Skillfully redirecting Yeonhwa’s tantrum elsewhere, I sat by the window. It wouldn’t take long anyway, but the view from up high was pretty amazing.
Ageha, who sat next to me by the window, mentioned that it seemed like I had flown often before. Yet for me, it was actually my first time.
“Really? It’s your first flight, Blanca? I didn’t think you were joking around!”
“I just read about it online. Plus… it’s nice to see the view so clearly.”
“I see. You seem to like open spaces both at the Academy and otherwise, huh?”
Does it really seem that way? I guess being cooped up in a lab for so long made open spaces feel good. Seeing the sky would be the cherry on top.
“Maybe.”
“More importantly, Blanca. Did you come prepared with a song? It’s been a while, but I’ve got a nice one ready!”
Oh. Oh no. I haven’t decided!
“Uh, of course!”
“Oh, can you give me a hint?”
With her eyes glowing with excitement, Ageha insisted she’d peek if I didn’t tell her, conjuring a menacing magical circle at her fingertips.
I had no clue what it was supposed to do, but the glaring eyes of the magic circle gave me chills, so I blurted out something.
“Uh… it’s… one of those songs you’d recognize when you hear it?”
“A recognizable song, huh? So it must be a famous one! How bold of you, Blanca. But that’s a good thing! I can’t wait, Blanca! Let’s have a singing showdown later!”
“Y-yeah, let’s make it a competition…”
Hah.
Should I really just sing a nursery rhyme or something?