NoveLight ™
"Do you understand what they’re saying?"
"I'm starting to get it."
A few days had passed since Lorentina left, and now a familiar story was playing on the TV news. Logan had it on to practice his Korean, and the timing was quite fitting.
Today, my home felt rather quiet. The reason was simple: Harmony and Dice had returned home a few days ago to focus on their primary careers. Dice, being a professional gamer, had switched his focus to training promising juniors due to the performance bonus conditions being better than last year, so I was just grateful for the time he had spent here.
As for Harmony, her main job was streaming, which provided her some flexibility, but she too had run off, saying it was too hard to work out with me. I couldn't really argue with that.
So, from today and for a considerable time, I would only be hosting Logan as my guest. At least until Lorentina returned... but she would be staying in Korea for a minimum of four months, so Logan would probably just hang around until he headed back home.
Still, that wasn’t much of a problem. Even though he was my senior, there was a time when Central Park HQ struggled with personnel, equipment, and space, and I had shared a room with him for several months—back then, Lorentina had roomed with Rapier.
Thus, it wouldn’t be awkward at all.
"I should have learned Korean back then."
"At that time, I was learning English much faster."
"That’s true; damn it."
Korean was indeed a difficult language to learn. Even Logan, who came from Delta Force and had a notably fast language acquisition speed, struggled for two weeks.
However, spending an entire day with me practicing free talking and grammar studies had led to significant improvements in his Korean skills. In just two weeks, he could generally understand what was being said in the news. Moreover, since I could speak English, I could explain any difficult parts for him. Or we could just use a translator.
So now, I was able to have a rough conversation while watching the news broadcast in Korean.
"Joint exercises, huh? I’m curious since I’ve never done one."
"Doesn’t Delta occasionally exchange with the Japanese Special Operations Group?"
"That’s just child’s play. Alpha Squadron types aren’t even allowed to go overseas. If it’s a purposeful mission… in other words, if it’s for operational reasons, that’s another story."
"That makes sense."
Alpha Squadron.
Similar to DEVGRU’s Gold Squadron, this unit—officially known as the 1st SAG—was composed of only the most elite members. Owens, who had shown his face on my streams a few times, was the operations team leader of the Alpha Squadron’s strike team, "Red Right Hand."
As memories of the past started to resurface, I recalled that if even one of their members were to defect or leak information, the losses for the U.S. would be significant. So, they had essentially prevented foreign exchanges altogether. Though they had still conducted incursions together.
Given that it was a game, perhaps it was easier to overlook than it should have been. There’s a saying that if you want to hide a tree, you hide it in the forest.
In any case, the conversation continued.
"Choosing a 50,000-ton tanker as the operational zone seems quite deliberate."
"There aren’t many cases of executing VBSS operations on ships that large… So, yes. It will be a tremendous experience for the UDT personnel as well."
"Hmm."
Then, suddenly, Logan asked,
"I think this might be because of you."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"That watch."
Logan pointed to my left wrist.
As I gasped in realization, she continued.
"You’ve passed on more than just a few things to the U.S., and considering the existence of a think tank… Harper, the former Secretary of Defense, and that raccoon senator must have had their influence too. If we consider all the variables, it’s pretty straightforward what this means."
"So, the U.S. has elevated its view of South Korea’s importance, huh?"
"That might be true. Politicians are the type that choke when they owe a debt… They might even think they still owe you quite a lot."
"Geez."
I wondered if that were really the case. Perhaps it could be.
But if that were true, wouldn’t it be easier to keep me tied to America, my second home, by showering me with benefits? But well, that was ultimately my choice.
Meanwhile, Logan, seeming bored, turned off the TV and added,
"That’s enough. They’ll manage. Lorentina wouldn’t mess up the training… I can just picture the chaos when DEVGRU gets wind that a shark mask has appeared in Korea."
"That’s the same in South Korea."
"Ha, what’s so great about that idiot…."
She let out a half-hearted laugh.
"So, what’s the plan for today?"
"Is there something going on?"
"I’m getting bored just studying Korean. I think I’ll go out for a game of basketball and have dinner before coming back."
"Ugh…."
"You can’t argue with your senior."
Just like that, I found myself in a headlock.
It was inevitable. Logan was naturally an active person, and if he didn’t have work, he would often grab anyone to play basketball with. He must have broken over twenty basketball hoops by now. I’d probably broken about nine. Dunking was a bit difficult.
In any case, there were plenty of ways to satisfy Logan, whose MBTI definitely started with an E. But since I had come all the way to Korea, I thought it would be better to explore Seoul a bit. Coincidentally, it was around 4 p.m., making it a suitable time to wander around and have dinner.
Quickly, I drafted a related notice and added,
"Then let’s go out for dinner tonight."
"Nearby?"
"Nope."
With that, I summoned a hologram.
The grand view of Namsan Tower greeted us.
"How about a tour of Seoul?"
There was no refusal.
"270 meters? I was expecting something wilder, but this is just a warm-up level."
"If you climb it like you’re doing duck walks or carrying an injured person, it could turn into some hard training."
"Are you suggesting I carry you up the mountain?"
"Ugh…."
We were at Namsan, about 6 km south of my house, where the famous Seoul Tower is located.
Having set out around 4:10 p.m. with Logan, we stepped onto the starting trail of Namsan around 5:30 p.m. without any significant issues. The sun was gradually setting, and spring was bringing forth budding flowers, along with people out for a walk around us.
After glancing around, Logan confirmed that there was no one nearby and spoke up.
"You meant to make us walk here, didn’t you?"
"…Oh, that wasn’t my intention. I didn’t expect there to be so many people."
"Are you saying you didn’t think there would be a lot of people in the capital of a country?"
That was true.
Logan was staring at me with eyes that seemed ready to devour me… and I had encountered quite a few difficulties on the way here. Specifically, things started to feel off when we reached the heart of Seoul, beginning with Independence Gate, and by the time we got to Seodaemun Station… ugh.
Plus, it wasn’t like I was in the same situation as Logan, who could be recognized by fans just by wearing a mask and a hat. I was definitely noticeable due to my extraordinarily long tail, and Logan stood out with his white hair that seemed impossible to conceal with any dye, not to mention his bear ears.
It was obviously absurd to wear a hat that could cover bear ears.
As a result, here’s what happened:
"Wow, it’s Yujin!"
"Oh, hello! If you have time, could you take a picture with me?"
This was pretty much the situation we found ourselves in.
It happened quite a bit, actually.
I hurried into a nearby stationery store and bought two pens, handing one to Logan. We then started taking signatures on memo pads or whatever every twenty seconds or so while making our way to Namsan, and by the time we finally arrived after 5 p.m., we might have taken even longer if we had posed for pictures too.
Because of that, the climb was surprisingly comfortable. The lack of people around meant we could converse freely. The only downside was that the mountain wasn’t very high, so we reached the top in no time.
"By the way, there are buses running to make it easier to get up."
"I guess we’ll have to walk back down."
"Haha."
With that, dinner would hopefully be relaxing.
So, as we kept climbing, we came across a paved path. After walking a bit more along the fortress wall, we arrived at the summit, bustling with people and what seemed like a balcony offering a view of Seoul.
It was just about dinner time, and the scenery was nothing short of breathtaking. The dimming purple sky, the still-setting sun, and the twinkling lights of Seoul combined to create a refreshing and beautiful view, even in the bustling city.
As Logan glanced at the setting sun to the left, he commented,
"Looks good."
"That sounds like a typical Logan assessment."
Only then did I notice the surroundings.
People drawing caricatures, the octagonal pavilion shimmering with lights, people out walking their dogs, and just plain tourists filled the area. As we lingered near the entrance of the observation deck, Logan frowned and asked,
"Yujin, what’s up with all these locks?"
"Oh, that’s the promise lock wire. They say couples mainly fill it up. I heard they collect them after a certain time."
"That’s interesting."
It was quite an interpretive statement.
Meanwhile, just as I was about to support my comment, suddenly a voice came from behind us as a couple approached and greeted us, asking if we could sign their lock.
I took out a pen and signed our names on the lock.
"By the way, it’s unusual for there to be two locks. Don’t couples usually buy one each?"
"Ah, I bought one to hang there, but as soon as I saw you two, I got another for signing."
"Oh, I see."
Then came another question.
"I really enjoyed the physical ability test you did a while ago. So… uh, this might be a bit rude, but can you unlock a lock with just your bare hands?"
"It shouldn’t be too difficult."
"Wow."
Of course, at the time, I had worn shoes reinforced with titanium plates, so I often kicked the locks off with my foot, but sometimes I had twisted open larger ones than U-locks for bicycles with my hands.
Let alone a lock the size of my thumb or slightly bigger, well… it was hard to say…
"While I might not be able to unlock the center, I could probably break the loop part with just a flick…."
"Ugh…."
"Are you confident, rookie?"
"You won’t know until you try."
And thus began our sudden wager.
A discussion ensued for several seconds about whether my finger could break the lock, and in the end, we amicably handed over the lock with our signatures to the couple.
As Logan and I were recognized by people who had noticed us, before long, a crowd began to gather around us. Initially, they were unsure of what was happening, but they soon burst into laughter at the absurdity of our wager.
To avoid any chance of injuring my finger, I discreetly activated my Icarus gear to apply a shield strong enough to counteract the recoil. I didn’t want to risk breaking a nail.
With the broadcast briefly activated, we decided to determine the order of who would go first with a game of rock-paper-scissors.
Logan won.
"I’ll break it."
"You won’t get a chance to try, rookie."
Logan seemed convinced he would completely smash the lock, and he focused all his strength into his middle finger.
I held the lock with one hand, gripping the loop and holding the bottom with the other to prevent it from moving too much.
And after a few seconds, we heard—
CRACK!
A shocking sound erupted that shouldn’t have come from a flick.
After an overwhelming force pushed my arm back, I carefully lifted the lock—
"…Huh?"
"That was a bit weak; what a pity."
The lock’s body was slightly twisted, and the loop was just about to tear apart.
Of course, it was my turn next, and the subsequent flick not only tore the loop but also sent shards flying into a backpack belonging to a person standing nearby who had been shielding themselves from the debris.
"I should have been gentler about it."
"I guess so. If it had been thinner, it might have shattered in one hit."
Of course, I offered to cover the repair or replacement costs for the damaged bag, but the person who had the lock in their bag was not only taking pictures but also asked if they could keep the pieces.
"Isn’t it better to keep good things good?"
"I suppose so."
It was a rather unusual method, but since everyone seemed satisfied, it was no big deal.
And thus, the evening at Namsan began.