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“…Are we dating?”

“…Hmm.”

No wonder it caused such a commotion since they saw us in the engine room.

I recall right after the incident ended.

The moment they first discovered me and Jang Chae Yeon, I remember their reactions.

Song Ah Rin sighed, hitting her forehead, while Yu Da On’s eyes widened in surprise.

So, we painstakingly made our way to the infirmary and wrapped ourselves in bandages and splints.

“…For now, I’ve altered the memories of everyone except for the people from the Management Agency.”

“Is that even possible?”

“I almost died doing it.”

In my room, Song Ah Rin glared at me while groaning, then sighed heavily and sat on the bed.

“I think most people will just think they had memory loss because they were having too much fun or drinking too much. Of course, this is just a temporary measure. The Management Agency will take further steps when we disembark.”

“What? You got in touch with the Management Agency?”

“Not yet, but they’ll probably notice the accident and come.”

Song Ah Rin sighed as she looked at me and began explaining the situation.

When the incident was resolved, surprisingly, the changes in people’s bodies disappeared.

Those who had completely transformed did not return, and it seems the Management Agency staff on board ‘dealt’ with those individuals collectively.

Manipulating those trivial memories became part of Song Ah Rin’s role, while everyone else was busy assisting her.

While Jang Chae Yeon and I struggled to recover from our injuries, she worked diligently, and as a result…

“…”

“…”

A silence lingered between us.

I stared intently at Yu Da On.

Her jet-black hair fluttered in the wind, and her eyes, which should have sparkled under the sunlight, shifted away from me, filled with unreadable emotions, while her hands fidgeted nervously, clasped atop her chest.

Sometimes, I wished I could see people’s emotions in my eyes.

It was ideal for strangers, but the more I understood someone, the more useless my gaze became.

In the brief silence, Yu Da On began to gauge my reactions, and as I confirmed she was doing so, I opened my mouth to respond.

“No, not at all.”

“What do you mean ‘not at all’?”

“Yes.”

Yu Da On’s eyes darted around as she processed my words.

She repeatedly opened and closed her mouth, finally nodding hesitantly.

“…Okay. Got it.”

“With surviving day-to-day being such a challenge, where would I find the time to date anyone?”

Honestly, that’s not an incorrect statement.

Just looking around, someone who came here for love ended up like fish bait. It’s a possibility that couldn’t be dismissed.

“Then… are you… dating someone?”

“What?”

I asked back at Yu Da On’s faintly mumbled words, but she flinched slightly, then shook her head with a smile.

“By the way, how’s your body feeling?”

What a sudden topic change.

“I’m fine.”

“Really, you’re completely okay?”

“Yes.”

“People like Kim Jae Heon and others can’t seem to recover quickly, so I’m always worried about them.”

“…I guess it’s a bit envious that your injuries get better quickly.”

Of course, considering the pain she endured, I couldn’t easily say that, nor could I just state, “Oh, you’re cursed,” either.

“…Not really.”

Yu Da On replied calmly to my words.

I had heard this kind of voice before.

Before heading to XX room, her voice had echoed when she had spoken about being happy.

Before I knew it, my gaze fell on her, and she smiled, as if questioning when that had happened.

“Can I ask you something, Kim Jae Heon?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Are you… happy right now?”

“Happy…?”

Of course I’m not happy.

Having fingers missing on a cruise and injuring my arm isn’t something that makes someone happy.

But I assumed what Yu Da On referred to as ‘happiness’ wasn’t just about the current situation.

After a moment of pondering which words to choose, I nodded.

“Yes, I guess I’m happy.”

Being embroiled in an incident isn’t fun, but having trivial conversations with someone and sometimes sharing candid thoughts.

Could that be considered happiness?

“Exactly! The Kim Jae Heon I know must feel that way!”

“…What?”

Yu Da On replied with a smile.

Her expression was much like her usual bright smile, but in that smile, I sensed an unsettling emotion.

“What’s going on?”

A nonchalant voice interrupted and made me turn around.

With her purplish bangs being swept aside carelessly, Song Ah Rin approached, hands stuffed in her pockets.

“Talking.”

“What’s with the gloomy face while having a conversation?”

“Gloomy face?”

I had just been smiling.

I briefly looked at Yu Da On.

She was still beaming her usual cheerful smile.

“…Let’s not talk.”

Seeing Yu Da On like that, Song Ah Rin sighed, leaning her arms on the railing and looking out at the sea.

Then, Yu Da On clapped her hands and glanced at us.

“I think it’ll be uncomfortable for both of you if I stay here, so I’ll head to the restaurant!”

“No need to-”

“Not at all! I’m going!”

With that, Yu Da On dashed away.

Song Ah Rin clicked her tongue, unimpressed, and turned to lean against the railing, staring at me.

“Are you okay?”

“What did I do? I almost died in the engine room just by bringing her along.”

“What happened?”

“I got swallowed by the sea while desperately running away. Do we have the capability to fight? It all happened in the blink of an eye.”

“At least you didn’t die.”

At my words, Song Ah Rin narrowed her eyes and looked at me.

“Was that meant to be comforting?”

“Thanks for your hard work.”

“If you understand, then buy me food.”

Song Ah Rin waved her hand dismissively while glancing at my left arm.

“How’s that doing?”

“My arm hurts, and my fingers throb.”

“That’s to be expected. …Seeing how neatly it was broken, it wasn’t you who did it, right?”

“Chae Yeon did.”

“…I can certainly see that she’s good at using her strength.”

That annoying girl, Song Ah Rin muttered under her breath.

Now that I mention it,

“Song Ah Rin.”

“What?”

“What’s your relationship with Chae Yeon?”

“…”

Song Ah Rin fell silent.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t want to say, but… with how you put it, it feels like I have to.”

With a glance at the sky, Song Ah Rin sighed.

Sunlight poured down on the clear blue sky, brightening her hair as she murmured a few words before finally speaking.

“She’s a colleague.”

“Is that all?”

“Had it been that level, I would’ve acted friendly.”

“…”

“There was an unfortunate incident.”

“I see.”

“Don’t you want to ask more?”

“I feel like that would infringe on your privacy.”

“Then you shouldn’t have even asked in the first place.”

A sharp pain darted through my temple.

“…”

“Just kidding. You’re not someone easily hypnotized.”

Song Ah Rin chuckled, waving her hand as she stood up.

Ah, right. Why was I so captivated by the song?

“I actually wanted to ask you something.”

“It’s not about me, is it?”

“No. Actually…”

As I recounted to her how I had been enchanted by the song, her expression grew increasingly serious as she listened to my question.

“…That’s strange. If that were a mental attack, you should’ve been fine.”

“Exactly.”

“…I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. But I’ll ask the uncle and try to figure out what’s been happening around here.”

“Thanks.”

In response to my gratitude, she simply raised one hand in acknowledgment.

“Since you’re not affected by hypnotism, I can give you this gift.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Song Ah Rin gazed quietly at me while looking up at the sky.

After a brief exchange of glances, she chuckled softly and shook her head.

“If you don’t know, then don’t worry about it.”

“Are the women from the Human Resources Team into mysteries?”

“Turns out white hair is more likely to belong to men than women~”

With that, Song Ah Rin waved her hand, starting down the stairs.

“I’ll see you during meal time.”

“Where are you going?”

“Heading to the theater before the restaurant.”

“Did you find something?”

“Can’t find it, so I’m leaving.”

With that response, as she turned the corner, her figure started to vanish.

Suddenly, bright white hair shone as she whisked past me, and two strangers walked by without saying a word.

Jang Chae Yeon approached me.

“…Are you okay?”

“No, is the deck a meeting spot or something?”

She tilted her head in confusion, then pointed at my arm again.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. How about you, Chae Yeon?”

“I was just lying down until a moment ago.”

“Have you regained some strength?”

“Pretty much good as new.”

She nodded, raising her arms above her head.

“Glad to hear you’re unharmed.”

“Thanks to you.”

Jang Chae Yeon looked at me.

“Me?”

“Your judgment skills are great.”

“What…”

I thought I was just quick to see more than others, but it didn’t seem necessary to voice that out loud.

“And you’re decisive too.”

“…Why are you saying that so awkwardly?”

“I’m being sincere.”

Jang Chae Yeon gazed earnestly at me, crossing her arms at her chest, and naturally, my eyes drifted in a particular direction.

I must have lost my thoughts while carrying that.

“Thanks to that, everyone was able to survive. If it were just the Isolation Team, we would’ve all been dead.”

“Please don’t say ridiculous things.”

Next, I might be dragged off to the Isolation Team.

While I waved my hands dismissively, she smiled gently and looked at me.

“To be honest, when we’re together, it can lead to accidents.”

“…”

Yeah, I had no rebuttals for that part.

“But.”

Jang Chae Yeon winked.

“I think that’s also a good thing.”

After saying that, she turned her back to me.

“Where are you going?”

“Off to eat.”

“Oh.”

“Care to join me?”

“…Sure, why not.”

I walked beside Jang Chae Yeon as we headed toward the dining area.

Yu Da On and Song Ah Rin were already seated, and we sat next to them, sharing our meals and chatting away.

In conclusion, while we started off a bit on the rough side, the cruise ended on a sweet note.

*

As soon as we disembarked, everyone except the Management Agency personnel was promptly rounded up under the guise of contagious disease testing.

The sunglasses-clad uncle didn’t come looking for us, and surprisingly, no one seemed to pay much attention to us at all.

The next day, as we cheerfully arrived at work, our welcome came from our team leader, who lay nonchalantly on the couch, playing mobile games.

“…Aren’t you supposed to work?”

“Since you guys went off to have fun, why should I work?”

“…Oh, come on, team leader…”

“Hey, hey, don’t talk to me.”

“Team leader… We really struggled a lot…”

It took a full day to cheer up our grumpy team leader.

As the scorching summer approached, a broadcast from the team leader’s favorite radio drifted through the air.

[A new theme park is opening up in Gangbuk! Sora Land is coming! A place for everyone to enjoy!]

Sora Land? Never heard of it. Should we take a trip there, including the team leader?

No, I think I’ll skip it. Something tells me if I go, another accident will happen.

Besides, even if I say that, it seems the team leader already finished all the paperwork.