Chapter 281: That's Enough
"Happiness..."
A difficult question.
What should I say...
While I was pondering for a moment, the darkness disappeared and Park Ye-eun opened her eyes with a groaning sound.
"Ugh..."
"Are you alive?"
"Oppa...?"
She stared intently at me, then looked at Manual.
"Oh, I was out cold."
"What did you see?"
"Uh... um... Really... scary..."
She trailed off, looking around.
"Anyway, it wasn't good."
"Nothing major happened, so don't worry too much."
Park Ye-eun nodded as if reassured, and Manual moved as if asking what had happened.
"Let's go out and check now."
"Is that the end of it?"
"Probably not. There's always a reason why such a place needs to be managed."
She spoke calmly and stepped outside the door.
At the same time, a tremendous wind blew, causing her to step back a few paces.
"I knew this would happen."
Tsk, she clicked her tongue.
"What is it?"
I grabbed Manual's shoulders as she was about to fall backward and supported her, looking outside.
A cold wind was blowing.
The corridor was completely frozen, making it difficult to walk, and icicles hung densely from the ceiling.
"But if it's just cold, it's better. Some old records said the floor was made of lava."
Manual spoke as if it were nothing and started walking.
"Oww, it's cold...!"
Followed by me and Park Ye-eun, shivering as we trailed behind.
"Oh, Oppa... any thought of... taking off your coat for your cute, cold dongsaeng...?"
"If I take this off, I'll freeze to death too. Don't you, a young kid, have any thought of taking off your coat for this ahjussi?"
"Are you still holding onto me calling you ahjussi back then? You really look so petty."
"Hey, give me your coat."
"Ah, wait! Kidding! Kidding! Don't take my coat off! Kyaaak!"
"Is now the time to fight? Hurry up and follow."
After bickering with Park Ye-eun, we both started walking again at Manual's words.
"Why did it end up like this?"
"Your Team Leader went inside the refrigerator, right."
"That's right."
"It seems the refrigerator door opened during the reconfiguration."
Manual muttered, stepping carefully as if completely unaffected by the cold.
"...Oppa."
While watching Manual walking ahead, Park Ye-eun tapped my shoulder and looked back, then stared at Manual with a curious expression.
"She really isn't human, huh?"
"...Suddenly?"
How did she know that?
In response to my question, Park Ye-eun pointed to her own mouth.
"Oppa and I have visible breath."
She made a round shape with her mouth and blew, and white steam seeped out.
"But that girl has no visible breath at all."
"...Don't tell anyone else."
"If Oppa, who catches or destroys all isolation objects, says so, I should follow. Okay."
"Do you always have to add one more comment?"
Park Ye-eun grinned brightly, and Manual opened a door.
"It's cold, so let's bring in some fire."
"..."
Following her and looking beyond the door, there was a small portable heater.
A semi-transparent window floated up.
[Name : Portable Heater]
[Age : Created 4 years ago]
[Specialty : Heat]
[Talent : Creating a Heat Zone]
[Background: After this appeared, unexplained fires broke out in numerous households. It has now been fully recalled.]
[Weakness : Do not leave it alone with a child.]
I wonder what happened.
Before I could even finish that thought, Manual approached the lone heater and began diligently operating something.
"Oh my, Noah, do you know how to operate that?"
"...I learned by looking over someone's shoulder."
In response to Park Ye-eun's question, Manual shrugged her shoulders and answered.
Whose shoulder was it?
"It's the person you're thinking of. I originally have no one else to talk to but that person."
As if confirming my thoughts, Manual nodded and shrugged her shoulders before pressing the heater's button.
After pressing the button a few times, she straightened her body with a "Phew." sound.
"Done."
"What do we do now?"
"We need to get out of here. Do you want to burn to death? Especially me."
In response to my question, Manual shook her head and answered, then stood up.
"Let's go."
As she stood up, an unusual heat could be felt.
"...Is this thing really safe?"
Park Ye-eun looked at Manual with a worried expression, and Manual looked back at her with an expression that seemed to say, 'What kind of question is that?'
"Of course it's dangerous. If it weren't dangerous, it wouldn't be isolated in a place like this."
"Ah... right..."
Park Ye-eun scratched her cheek and answered, and the heater began to glow even more brightly.
Coming out into the corridor, it felt somewhat more survivable.
"...With so many items here, couldn't we borrow some?"
"That's why you borrowed one."
In response to my muttering, Manual answered as if asking why I was stating the obvious.
"No, besides this. I was wondering if there are things that could be lent to other people."
"Other people?"
"You know. Like Daon-ssi or Chae-yeon-ssi... or Arin-ssi."
"...They can't."
"Really?"
"Uh-huh. Especially Yu Daon. She really can't."
"Why Daon-ssi?"
"She's... ...Never mind. It's no good for you to know right now."
Manual trailed off.
"If handled wrong, that kid could amplify the incident."
Now the ice in the corridor was starting to melt little by little.
"Anyway. Since we're out, I wanted to let you know about a certain danger."
"Danger?"
"...Hey. High school girl over there."
"Uh, yes?"
Manual called Park Ye-eun, and she approached with a bright smile.
"What's up?"
"Walk two blocks ahead and look at the right door, there's a large bag."
"Okay."
"Bring that bag. An ordinary person wouldn't be able to carry it. But you can."
"...Uh..."
"You can carry it, right? Correct?"
"...I can, but..."
She answered with an awkward expression, and Manual smiled.
"Uh-huh. Carry that... ...and go find the Branch Head."
"The Branch Head? But he won't meet me, will he?"
"No. He will."
Manual answered as if it were obvious.
"And, don't bring it back here."
"Uh, okay...?"
"Carry the bag, go outside the door, and only walk on the right path. No matter what happens, no matter what sound you hear, never go left."
"Ah, okay... I understand, but... what's in the bag...?"
"The thing you always felt was lacking."
"..."
Park Ye-eun stared intently at Manual, and Manual stared back at her.
"How do you know that?"
"..."
Manual just smiled, and Park Ye-eun looked at her with a suspicious expression.
"If needed, I'll go with-"
"You need to stay here."
Cutting off my words sharply, Manual looked at me.
"Absolutely?"
"Absolutely."
"...Sorry, Ye-eun."
"...What kind of relationship do you two have for Oppa to be groveling like that?"
"A relationship where we can't live without each other."
"..."
"Talk properly."
At Manual's words, Park Ye-eun looked at me with a shocked expression, and I hurriedly tapped Manual's shoulder and looked at Park Ye-eun.
"We're just friends."
"...If Oppa says so, then it must be so."
"I don't get it anymore." She muttered as she started walking.
"I won't tell the other sisters. I'll let it slide since the kid is kinda cute."
"..."
"Should I go then?"
Park Ye-eun started walking, and Manual, who had been watching her, opened her mouth.
"But when you use it, consult properly."
"...With whom?"
"With someone you can trust."
"She says so, Oppa. I'll consult with you when I use it."
"Hey."
"I'm going!"
Not even pretending to hear my call, Park Ye-eun waved her hand and ran off into the distance.
"So youthful."
"It's a bit weird hearing you say that while looking like a kid."
"Maybe next time I'll come back a bit bigger?"
"Is that even possible?"
"If I try."
Manual laughed playfully, then looked at me with a serious expression.
"Since it's just the two of us now."
"Okay."
"...You're doing well."
She averted her gaze.
"I know you're going through a lot of hardship, and I know you're struggling by attaching unnecessary burdens called 'teammates'."
"They're not burdens. It's fun."
"...Is that so."
Manual paused for a moment before continuing.
"Anyway, after this, go visit the place where the Butterfly's Dream was once."
"The place where the Butterfly's Dream was?"
Does she mean the underground?
I looked at her with a puzzled expression, but she shook her head.
"Saying more would create variables. Just go."
"...Okay."
"Go... and have a good time."
She looked at me after saying these cryptic words.
"Then... about your younger sister."
"...I'm listening."
"I hope you respect that child's choice. It's a conclusion we all reached after discussing it."
"We all?"
"You'll find out. Sorry."
She slightly bowed her head, seeming genuinely sorry.
Quite a teasing way of speaking.
"Okay. Understood."
But since she's saved my life countless times, it wouldn't hurt to listen.
As I nodded, she smiled.
"Good. And one last important thing."
"Okay."
"You didn't answer my question earlier."
"Question?"
"Are you happy?"
"..."
I had felt this before, but since last time, Manual seemed to be somewhat concerned about my happiness.
I needed to choose my words carefully.
After pondering for a moment, I slowly opened my mouth.
"If you ask if I'm happy, honestly, it's hard to answer with a straight 'yes'."
That's just how people are.
We're eerily good at knowing when we're unhappy, but not so good at feeling when we're happy. We only realize we were happy when we look back.
Ah, those were good times. We say things like that.
Of course, there are exceptions like Yu Daon... but at least for me, it's like that.
Manual's calm eyes looked up at me.
"But I don't think I'm unhappy right now."
That was the best answer I could give her.
"I see."
Manual smiled faintly.
"That's enough."
Then she took my hand.
"Let's go together."
"Where to?"
"The exit. I want to walk together, just the two of us, for the first time in a while."
The thought 'What about Team Leader?' flashed through my mind, but I had faith that he would manage on his own, so I decided to leave him behind.
"Sure, why not."
*
I walked with her through the dark corridor.
"But is your name really Min Noah?"
"Isn't it?"
"Then what is your name?"
"You don't need to know."
We made small talk too.
"And so Chae-yeon-ssi said..."
"....."
"Are you listening?"
"I'm listening so well it's annoying."
"Good. Keep listening well. So Arin-ssi..."
"....."
We talked,
and as we continued walking, we found ourselves standing before a huge elevator.
"We're here."
She muttered and let go of my hand.
"Then, take care."
"Are you staying here?"
"No? I have to return to your embrace."
In response to my question, she answered as if wondering why I was asking, then pressed the button.
The elevator door opened, and she started pushing my back.
"Hurry up. Hurry."
"Ah, wait a second. Hey!"
After putting me in the elevator, when I looked back, she was waving from beyond the closing door.
"..."
"..."
After a brief exchange of glances, Manual opened her mouth.
"Hearing your answer today, I'm really relieved."
"Relieved? Why?"
"Do you know what your answers always were to my constant question?"
"...Well?"
"You either tried to comfort me by saying 'I'm happy,' or you said 'I'm unhappy' because you didn't even have the strength to do that."
She closed and opened her eyes.
"It's the first time I've heard a different answer."
With a bright smile, she waved her hand, and the door began to close.
"You're doing well. Let's do a little better. There's not much left."
She continued to smile and wave,
and the door closed.
Then, a heavy sensation in my embrace.
I put my hand inside my clothes and pulled out Manual.
On the cover, my signature was shining faintly in gold.
*
Team Leader also returned quickly. Park Ye-eun was waiting for me outside, carrying a bag that looked impossibly heavy.
Fortunately, Team Leader said that when he saw we were gone, he thought something had happened and came out right away.
And a few days later.
"Why the basement all of a sudden."
Song A-rin swept back her hair and looked at the elevator.
"I just want to take a look."
"Did you get permission?"
"Didn't Arin-ssi grant it?"
"...Right, I granted it."
Song A-rin sighed and leaned against the wall, while Jang Chae-yeon and Yu Daon leaned against the opposite wall without saying a word.
-Ding!
With a clear sound, the elevator opened.
"Let's go."