(EP-237.1) Summer Vacation #2

237 – Each Summer Vacation #2

After the festival ended and the Ark entered vacation, it felt extremely desolate.

━Hey, you said you were heading east?

━Yeah, I think there is a swarm of michuri back home, I have to go help. Are you going to the barrier?

━Yes, they’re always short-staffed. I messed up my finals, I need to improve performance to get some funding.

The people you could see were packing up and heading back to their hometowns and respective battlefields. This scene reminded me of Daehak-ro.

[T/N: Daehak-ro is a place in Seoul in Hyehwa with lots of universities around]

Daehak-ro would always become deserted after the finals. I knew that feeling well because I lived alone in a rented studio near Daehak-ro.

The park where friends and lovers used to enjoy walks, the benches around the pond where people used to gather to escape the heat, and even the student cafeteria, which was always crowded with students, were all empty today.

“So quiet, so quiet…”

It felt like the wide school grounds had become my own world. At the same time, there was a mix of melancholy of being alone in the world. It was as if I became the only one left behind.

Slightly sentimental, I shaded myself from the pouring sunlight with a straw hat and continued walking. What were the others up to?

Thus, I headed to Marmar’s place「Fairy Paradise」. Casually walking along the familiar path, I came upon a rather surprising sight.

“What is…?”

Words involuntarily slipped out of my mouth. But before I had a moment to think, someone growled at me.

“Ah! Whoever you are, you can’t cut the line…! Go to the back…!”

“Yeah! No cutting lines! Everyone is bearing the heat and standing in line!”

They were nymphs.

That was right.

Nymphs.

A group of girlish-looking fairies, aged between 12 and 15, were lined up around the imp dormitory run by Marmar.

Was Marmar’s pork cutlet a big hit?

No, no. It didn’t look like they were in line for pork cutlets.

I passed through the chattering nymphs and headed to the front of the line. Someone was writing numbers on pieces of paper and handing them to the nymphs.

It was the red-haired imp, Tartar.

“Tartar, what is going on? Why are there so many nymphs?”

“Ah! You are comrade! What’s going on is… there is no time to explain! But the gist is that we’re accepting converts!”

Converts?

What converts?

“Where is Marmar?”

“If you mean comrade Marmar, she is over there, inside, consulting with the nymphs!”

‘I see.’

I stepped inside「Fairy Paradise」, where the cool shade contrasted with the scorching sun outside. Inside, the place was teeming with nymphs as well.

━Ahht-! There, no cutting in line…!

━Daring to cut in line! Do you want to taste Punchinoi’s sweet honey fist…!?

Everyone seemed to think I was cutting in line.

Pushing through the nymphs, I made my way to Marmar’s room.

Soon, I saw a bright open window with light streaming onto the floor, and an orange-haired imp chatting away.

It was Marmar.

“Marmar, what is all this? Why are there so many nymphs?”

Marmar, who had been talking to a nymph, looked at me and jumped up from her seat, waving her hands and tail.

“Ah-! Comrade, you’re here!”

Then, she clapped her hands at the surrounding nymphs.

“Break time! The conversion ceremony will resume in 30 minutes, so you all take a rest!”

━It’s Pianoi’s turn soon, but there’s break… what a shame….

━Let’s rest in the shade!

The nymphs scurried away, screaming here and there. Still surprised by the scene, I asked Marmar again.

“What is going on here?”

“We’re holding a conversion ceremony! Isn’t it amazing?”

Huhuhu-Marmar chuckled. However, I still didn’t understand what this “conversion ceremony” was. Sensing my confusion, Marmar explained.

“What a conversion ceremony is… It’s easier to show than tell.”

Gi-ik, Tak-.

Marmar closed the window and drew the curtains. The room turned pitch dark despite it being broad summer daylight. Just as I began to wonder what she was doing…

“Hm… It’s still too bright.”

Paseuseuk-.

Marmar burrowed under the blanket on her bed.

It almost made me laugh. Her action reminded me of my dog squirrel Keongkeong digging into sawdust.

“Comrade, come in quickly…!”

Marmar poked her head out from under the blanket and urged me to join her. Digging into a blanket so suddenly? I had no idea what this meant, and was confused.

“Hurry!”

But I knew Marmar wouldn’t do anything to harm me, so I crawled under the blanket as well.

“Look at this─.”

Hwaaaaa-.

“─glowing tail!”

“Wow.”

Marmar’s diamond tail was emitting light.

Hwaaaaa─.

The brightness was like a fluorescent light, blindingly so. I didn’t know how it was possible, but this certainly looked amazing. I found myself equally dazzled.

“Marmar, your tail is glowing?”

Edited by: faker