Chapter 221 - Special episode (1)

'Hey, a pool! It’s been so long since I’ve been to one.'

Because I only went into the water once in Hong Kong. Since I went swimming before coming back, it’s the first time. Well, there were a few times when I was a kid and went swimming in groups. But personally, I didn’t have time for that. If I had more time or money, it would have been great to try more things with my brother when we were kids. I feel a bit regretful now.

“Ahjussi, are you ready?”

An anxious voice came from outside the door. It seems like we’re in a hurry.

“Just a moment!”

Although there are changing rooms at the pool, I was told I could change in the room and come. The room is more comfortable than the changing room. I took out a new swimsuit from my suitcase.

'It’s completely normal clothing.'

I like it. I thought there would only be tight swimsuits. But there’s more variety than I expected. Anyway, the loose swimsuit like a t-shirt is what I liked the most. It’s not tight, so it’s comfortable and covers my body.

“It’s better to hide the scars.”

Yoohyun already knows, and I can tell others it’s a scar from when I was a child, but why bother? Besides, what would happen if they try to remove the scar? And anyway, the location of the scar is a bit ambiguous.

“Hyung, are you going to wear that?”

As I take off my shirt, my younger brother, who suddenly came closer, said with a disappointed expression.

“Uh… should I put on something else?”

“Yes. This looks better on you.”

Yoohyun took out a jacket-like shirt from the house. His brother always says the same thing when we go to buy swimsuits. But there was nothing that fit him as well as the loose shirt Yoohyun wanted.

Yoohyun’s body was fine, but my shoulders were short. That’s why he bought a zip-up jacket shirt instead. It’s not as loose as the shirt, but at least it’s comfortable and has a zipper to put on and take off. Comfort is the best.

“It’s okay, I guess.”

I took the zip-up jacket shirt Yoohyun brought out.

“You should change quickly too. Yerim is going to break down the door.”

The shorts were a bit above the knees. Long pants are uncomfortable to wear and take off. I just like wearing a hoodie and shorts. It doesn’t look like a swimsuit.

“Guys, come here.”

Velare clung to my arm, and Peace also came, but this time he didn’t cling to me as usual. He went to the pool, but he didn’t think about hugging me as usual. Did he notice we were going to the pool?

“I won’t let you fall into the water.”

“Kyang!”

“It would be nice to swim together.”

He’s a clever kid. But I wanted to take a picture making the peace sign with Velare and Peace swimming while I swam. I also brought a waterproof case for my phone.

“Where’s the waterproof case for the phone?”

“Here.”

Yoohyun hands me the waterproof phone case. Seeing that I’m holding Peace with one arm, he puts my phone in the case. And I put the case’s strap around my neck.

“You must feel uncomfortable.”

Although my younger brother had the same hoodie as me, he didn’t zip it up like me. We bought the right size, but it seemed a bit tight. So he just put on the shorts.

“I used to take her everywhere.”

It’s strange to see him tall. Although he grew up quite well, it was still hard to imagine he would grow taller than me. I didn’t even know he was going to be so tall when he was in elementary school.

He had a good growth spurt when he was in middle school. Even when he entered high school, he kept growing rapidly, so I probably think he surpassed 180 cm even though he didn’t wake up.

I’m proud of myself for feeding him well. You’ve grown well.

“Ah, Ahjussi!”

“I’m coming, coming.”

He sings a song.

“The weather is so nice!”

Yerim said excitedly as she raised both arms. Yerim also wore a hoodie. Do people not wear swimsuits like before? It seemed like a lively short-sleeved shirt and shorts set.

Yerim ran and jumped into the water.

Splash.

She entered the water. The shape beneath the surface moved smoothly like a mermaid and then rose above the water. The water also rose along with her.

“Ah, it feels so good.”

I lifted Yerim while she was happy. The water droplets around me reflected the sun and danced dazzlingly.

“Brother, why did you zip up so much?”

It was Moon Hyuna’s voice. When I turned around, I saw Moon Hyuna wearing a sleeveless shirt and, of course, shorts. And Wow, look at those muscles. It would surely be uncomfortable for her to wear a shirt like Yerim’s. Especially the shoulders and arms were no joke. No wonder she spends so much money.

…It’s a bit enviable.

“Unnie, let’s race!”

“Okay!”

Moon Hyuna jumped into the pool with a smile.

The pool consisted of a deep center and long spaces surrounding the edge. The pool itself was large, so the length of the edge was considerable. Yerim and Moon Hyuna went to the end of the long pool.

“Ahjussi, give me a signal.”

“Yes. It’s a foul if you use a skill.”

You could end up blowing up the pool. You have to be careful. Yerim was fast, but it was difficult to beat Moon Hyuna without using a skill. There’s a big height and muscle difference, but she still managed to keep up with her without losing much distance.

“Yoojin!”

“Yoojin.”

While I was watching the swimming competition, Noah and Myeongwoo went down to the pool, both wearing only swimming shorts. Needless to say, Myeongwoo, but Noah is also an S-class in the support team, so… it was a good idea to force them to go.

"It seems like you've rested well."

"It looks like rest is necessary after all. Ismuar seemed a bit annoyed."

Myeongwoo said, laughing. They decided not to work until they returned to Korea during the holidays. They said they liked the pool water here, so they enthusiastically jumped into the pool. Ismuar can swim well too.

"Come on, Peace, Velare. Are we going too deep?"

I was worried, but Peace was the first to jump into the water. With the flying item, he'll be fine. Peace, floating in the water, started swimming to one side, and Velare followed suit. She has always liked water and swims smoothly.

I quickly recorded that scene and also took a video. It's also cute.

"P-Peace... it seems like Peace doesn't like the water after all."

- Kkyang.

Peace, who suddenly sat on a deck chair, seemed thinner than usual. Well, if he doesn't like it, what can you do? Just sunbathe.

"Yoohyun, aren't you going into the water?"

I asked my brother who was beside me. Why is he just watching?

"I don't know how to swim."

"Really? I thought you knew, since you can float in the sea."

"Floating is easy."

I suppose. Even I can float. Anyway, I entered the water first. The further back I went, the deeper it became. In the front, the water only reached waist-deep.

"They say you learn quickly if you know how to float. Come on, let's go. I'll hold your hand."

"Yes, thank you."

Noah, who was nearby, said shyly as Yoohyun entered the water, smiling.

"I, I... also can't swim."

"Noah, you can't swim either? Can you at least float?"

"Uh, I've never tried, so I'm not sure."

Oh, you've never been to a pool.

"Wait a moment. First, let me help Yoohyun."

Just as I took Yoohyun's hand, the water suddenly splashed up beside me. With a shower of water, Yerim appeared and shouted:

"Ahjussi, don't be fooled! Saying that class S people can't swim is a lie."

"Yes, Hyung. It's not S-class, but if he has a B status, he can jump into the water and swim in less than three minutes."

"That's right, Hyung. Even if you're not a complete class S, but if you have a B status, I can throw you into the water and you'll swim in three minutes."

Moon Hyuna also appeared and said.

"Now I see you're a complete fox, Yoohyun-nim. It's not a joke when you're with your Hyung!"

"Yes, Unni. It's not funny when you see it. Hey, fox! Stop fooling around and let's go swimming!"

A fox, huh? Yoohyun didn't even blink at Yerim's joke. He acted indifferent as if he didn't hear anything. Interestingly, Noah was the one who blushed.

"I, I... just..."

Noah, blushing to the ears, couldn't speak properly and stuttered and, instead of swimming, submerged himself in the water. It's not like he's going to drown being an S-class hunter, but...

"He may not know, but it's okay."

Why are you feeling embarrassed? But wouldn't it be faster to tell him to try it instead of holding his hand?

"Yoohyun."

"Yes, Hyung."

My brother looked at me with a radiant smile, as if trusting only in me. Yes, you can learn slowly. It's not like you're going to participate in a swimming tournament right now. It will be at that time.

With a splash, the water enveloped me. Then, I was suddenly pushed backward.

"Eh, what?"

"Park Yerim!"

Yoohyun, who couldn't grab me for fear of hurting me, shouted fiercely. The water that enveloped me turned into a chair. If it were normal water, I would have sunk, but this held my body like a tube full of water.

"Let's go, fox!"

Yerim stood in front of me, floating in the water, and shouted confidently.

"Are you lying about not knowing how to swim? We all know!"

"......"

Yoohyun looked at me hesitantly. And then replied.

"I can't."

"Wow, you're really Han Yoohyun! But to get Ahjussi back, you'll have to know how to swim!"

Don't laugh, Moon Hyuna, but let's stop the kids.

"Don't fight here."

I tried, but both seemed not to listen. Peace, eh... even beach volleyball seems far from peaceful. Someone should bring some sand. Why don't we organize a sandcastle-building competition?

"Yoojin, thanks for all the effort."

Myeongwoo, who approached me, said.

"Still, it's nice, can you take Peace and Velare, who are floating?"

Myeongwoo brought Peace and Velare, who were floating, and Noah, who had submerged, approached. Noah, standing outside the pool, asked me:

“Do you want me to bring you something to drink?”

“Oh, yes. Please, a café latte.”

“And for Hyung Myeongwoo?”

“I’ll have a grapefruit juice.”

As soon as Myeongwoo responded, Yerim raised her hand immediately.

“I want a Java Chip Frappuccino, please, with extra Java Chip and whipped cream. If not, a parfait, or a Caramel Macchiato with espresso cream!”

“Iced Americano, please.”

“Snacks for the beer! Preferably something greasy!”

Noah was startled. Isn’t that too long of an order? Especially you, Yerim, you can’t even remember. Seeing Noah bewildered, Myeongwoo got out of the pool. He climbed to a spot without stairs solely with the strength of his arms. Definitely, having a high skill level is cool. I’m jealous.

“I’ll go with you.”

It’s kind of him. It seems like Myeongwoo enjoys taking care of people when he has the chance. Even the blacksmith men reduce their personal time to teach attentively. I think back to when we first met. He has changed a lot. For the better, much.

Myeongwoo and Noah headed toward the bar, while Yujin and Yerim started glaring at each other again.

“Beer is on the way, so let’s start.”

Moon Hyuna chuckled under her breath without any intention to stop them.

“I’ll make a special exception! I’ll give you five minutes to learn to swim.”

“My Hyung promised to teach me, so give him back to me.”

“You also know how to float, Ahjussi. Take care, Guild Leader.”

“You seem to be enjoying this.”

Another voice interjected. It was Sung Hyunjae. He appeared out of nowhere and walked toward the pool. What’s with the beach robe cardigan? It seems so comfortable to cover the body that I also thought about buying one. However, Sung Hyunjae only wore it.

Anyway, eh… he has a good body. At this level, I don’t feel jealous at all… Honestly, I’m a little jealous. It would be great, really. Why did I come to the pool? At least, Song Taewon or Kim Sunghan aren’t here, which is lucky.

Yoohyun and Yerim continued to face off against each other, paying no attention to Sung Hyunjae. Moon Hyuna also seemed content to watch the two of them, but said no more. Seeing that, Sung Hyunjae redirected his attention toward me.

His smile was a bit unsettling. When our eyes met, Sung Hyunjae slightly raised a finger. It crackled, a little light flickered. Can it be?

“Wait, hey!”

I quickly grabbed Peace and Velare tightly in my arms. As soon as Sung Hyunjae confirmed my action, immediately.

Crackle!

Electricity crackled. It glowed so brightly that the entire pool lit up. Ah, damn human, really.

“Ouch!”

“Ew!”

“That bastard!”

The electricity roared loudly, but for S-rank hunters, it was only slightly painful. Han Yoohyun and Yerim started glaring menacingly at Sung Hyunjae. Moon Hyuna also growled.

“Han Yoohyun, it’s a ceasefire.”

“It’s okay.”

His voice sounded weak. Hold on, guys. It’s deep here. You can float, but then you sink. Yerim, you were hit by an electric attack and let go. Peace and Velare don’t seem to realize the situation.

“Oh, it seems Han Yoojin is more urgent.”

“Well, hey! Ahjussi!”

“Hyung.”

Splash!

My sinking body was lifted upward. If I stayed still, I would float, but why was I sinking? Yoohyun and Yerim pulled me and took me to a shallow part of the water.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

“Why aren’t you yelling?”

“No, cough. I usually float when I relax. If I yell in the water, I’ll swallow water and won’t float anymore.”

Even so, why was I so calm? Maybe the fear of drowning also influenced. If you sink completely, you can push off the bottom and come up a bit.

Snork!

“Yes, Peace, it turns out you don’t like getting into the water.”

I’m already completely soaked. Peace, making sure I’m okay, quickly jumped out of the water. Then, after checking my reaction, he quickly hid behind the garden and sat back down on the lounger. He really managed to dry off.

“Wouldn’t it be better to learn how to swim properly?”

Sung Hyunjae approached and said nonchalantly. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have fallen in. Although I wanted to decline his offer to teach for the safety of my companion, Yerim intervened.

“I’ll teach you! I’m a good swimmer.”

She raised the corner of her lips to Yoohyun as if saying, “I can teach him.” Yoohyun narrowed his eyes.

“You just drowned your brother because you couldn’t control your ability. Come with me and learn little by little.”

“Or would you prefer I teach you, Hyung?”

…I just want to play and go swimming. Can’t a life jacket be made with dungeon items? You could always carry it with you.

“For now, I’ll rest for a bit.”

I got out of the water and sat on the bench. Myeongwoo and Noah returned with the ordered drinks.

(1): Yes, I know it may seem strange, but it's a filler chapter, and even though it's filler, I'm not going to skip it, and I'll translate it.