I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 222 – Late Vacation

The eye of the storm.

This term often referred to the clear, calm center of a tropical cyclone that accompanied various types of destruction, or even more evolved meteorological phenomena. However, in modern society, the meaning was used more broadly.

It was used in two ways: metaphorically for something that seemed fine on the surface but was soon to be caught up in turmoil, or to describe someone or something that remained calm and carefree amidst chaos.

From the latter perspective, it was the most fitting term to describe Yoo Jin, amidst the highly heated Dark Zone communities transitioning from October to November.

Of course, as stated multiple times, the numerous internet users’ curiosity could not unlock the secrets entangled with Yoo Jin.

“Yoo Jin! Reveal the truth!”

“It all comes out in the wash anyway!”

But even if public opinion gathered to the point of consensus, it was impossible to dig through concrete with a spoon.

Moreover, to elaborate a bit more – the fire that started in unnecessary places, most of the self-proclaimed informants arguing for everyone’s right to know were people with too much time and energy on their hands, and they weren’t even the mainstream of public opinion.

And regardless of whether these people stirred up trouble enough to shake even the bystanders, the situation a few days after Yoo Jin’s military career controversy started to flow quite clearly.

“Take down the article.”

“Excuse me?”

“Take down the damn article! Do you know how far up the chain they got called out because of you?!”

“I’m sorry! Aaah!”

First to go were the so-called cyber scavengers and those embarrassed to be called journalists, who were trying to squeeze views from this hot issue that had set the internet ablaze.

Unfortunately for them, Yoo Jin was continually updating her path with greater achievements, which meant that smaller stories were easily forgotten.

In other words, from their perspective, the fact that she had hinted at being an Awakener in the past yet faced no repercussions had been forgotten, and the price of this forgetfulness was substantial.

Of course, the reasons for these individuals getting severely reprimanded were not limited to that alone.

“…What is this?”

“These are parts of Yoo Jin’s U.S. military service file, which had been classified until now. They’ve been cross-verified. The reason for providing this file is… it’s meant to answer the doubts raised by some public opinion in the Korean community.”

“…”

“I believe someone as capable as you would understand what this means.”

Classified U.S. military service and Awakener.

The moment these two seemingly unrelated, yet sensitive Voldemort-like topics were combined, it was evident that an unpredictable chemical reaction would occur, and the results were quickly apparent.

Of course, the resolution did not occur publicly. This meant that a lot happened beneath the surface.

Thus, although there was no official endorsement from both Korea and the United States, instead – Yoo Jin suddenly found herself backed by a giant law firm, comparable to a military company. Within a few days, many faced cyber repercussions in the form of warnings.

The flashy cyber scavenger videos that adorned parts of Yourspace vanished like a firework show, and the more excessive channels were dismantled, leaving a trail of repercussions before disappearing.

This implication was quite clear.

“There must be a reason for this.”

“You idiots, that’s why I said don’t act rashly when there’s no clear answer.”

A problem that anyone could understand with a bit of thought.

If someone with over 1.5 million subscribers, now nearing 1.7 million, were to lie on such a large scale, it would spread in minutes and turn into a hearing or witch trial to determine the truth.

Especially if it was in a field easily verified by others, it would be even faster. Yoo Jin had touched upon nothing less than the Awakener status and her U.S. military service.

Narrated by Logan and supported by Yoo Jin’s statements, these claims, especially in the ears of the proud U.S. military, would have quickly produced a response if it had been false. Yet, as it crossed the five-day mark, no clear evidence of falsehood emerged.

It was a fact that should have been realized long ago.

“…Could it be true?”

Whether it was true or not was unknown.

But despite touching upon two areas where proving truth or falsehood was simple, no counterclaims surfaced. At this point, the game was over.

After the cyber scavengers and the spreaders of defamation and baseless conspiracy theories had spectacularly self-dragged themselves to the Han River, the fiercely burning flames of Korea’s Dark Zone communities did not die out.

Only the color of the flames changed, as a new topic flamboyantly debuted.

“So, can Yoo Jin still compete? Can she represent Korea?”

“Then Dice would’ve been out long ago, you idiot.”

“Ah.”

The question of whether a soldier could participate in the Dark Zone.

Naturally, this was easily dismissed by bringing up the global rate of ex-soldiers debuting in the Dark Zone as pros or coaches. Why and how could one stop someone from using the skills they had learned?

Next came the nationality controversy. However, this was resolved by showing evidence that Yoo Jin had signed a pledge of non-acceptance of foreign nationality before the age of 22 in Korea – in other words, she agreed not to pledge allegiance to any other country and to fulfill her duties as a Korean.

Whether they hoped for Yoo Jin’s downfall or genuinely wanted to scrutinize something, the time had come to acknowledge it. Yoo Jin was thorough enough not to leave any trace other than her splendid tail.

Her past, her present, and her future actions were without issue. They would continue to be so.

Thus, the conclusion converged into one.

Within less than a week, a single thought settled in everyone’s mind, excluding the die-hard critics.

“We have no chance. Hope for something reasonable.”

In some ways, that was the most accurate answer.

Meanwhile.

“…Oh my.”

“How in the world….”

“Hehe, I prepared quite a bit. Thanks to Yoo Jin, I’ve grown a lot, and since I won the prize money in the recent competition, there’s no problem. Enjoy comfortably. Congratulations to both of you for coming first and second in the Asia qualifiers!”

Behind Harmony’s bright smile lay a vast indoor swimming pool, a poolside barbecue buffet, and cabanas already set up with all kinds of amenities.

The green cat personally opened her wallet to welcome them, and there sprang forth water from the ground, and meat and fruit were abundant. With such surreal thoughts as the last, the minds of Yoo Jin and Dice stopped at the sight before them.

“Ah, if I had known, I wouldn’t have eaten anything this morning.”

“Even if we can’t finish everything, it’s not a big deal, so don’t worry, Dice. Right, Yoo Jin?”

“You’re quite eager to see me as a vacuum cleaner.”

“Ack!”

A thud and the pop of a cork echoed simultaneously in the air.

A barbecue platter, Mongolian beef pizza, waffles, champagne, Mont Saint Clair’s fresh cream cake, and even a private pool – although, rather than a private pool, it was more like a large pool sectioned off so that only a small number of people could use it at a time.

The luxury was enough to leave one speechless. It was definitely a significant experience that one wouldn’t easily encounter in life. Even though it hadn’t started yet, it already felt that way.

Numerous dishes were laid out on the table attached to the cabana. Among them, the cake seemed the most approachable. As I cut a clean slice with a fork and put it in my mouth, the sweetness overwhelmed me.

It was indeed a very luxurious taste.

“How is it? Delicious, right? There’s also a barbecue buffet nearby. If you request it via the table touchscreen, it’ll be delivered quickly, so you can just relax here.”

“…How much did you spend on this?”

“Hehe, thanks to whom do you think I earned all this? Don’t worry, if needed, we can start a broadcast later. I’ve also reserved a wine bar for the evening.”

“Sure, whatever.”

*Sigh.*

I didn’t really mind the broadcast, but why were both Dice and Harmony so eager to get me drunk? While I stretched Harmony’s cheeks with my fingers, Dice, who was trying to sneak away, was caught by my tail wrapped around her neck as a punishment.

Anyway, we began to eat. Besides me, with my unusual appetite and meal size, these two had the average appetite for their age, so most of the food laid out here was bound to end up in my stomach.

By the way,

“This is the first time I’ve seen such a grand place. The facilities are amazing too….”

“Indeed.”

“What? Yoo Jin, haven’t you ever been to a place like this? Really? I thought you must have visited places like this often, like….”

“You don’t need to sugarcoat saying that you think Awakeners always have steak for every meal and frequent luxurious shopping malls and hotels…ouch!”

*Slap!*

In the end, I got hit. Dice’s slaps were evolving to the point that now her palm could leave a red mark on my clean, white back. Today, unfortunately, we were at the pool, so my defense was lower, making the damage even more piercing.

Anyway, speaking of swimsuits. Contrary to the pieces of cloth that barely cover the chest and groin that one might think of, there were more common and appropriate attires. In short, rash guards.

Therefore, the swimsuits worn by the three of us were more like gym clothes than poolwear. The tops were long-sleeved, tight-fitting shirts made for water, and the bottoms were shorts or something resembling dolphin shorts.

In many ways, it was a relief.

Anyway,

“The fact that Awakeners can appear from anywhere at any time makes it impossible to form such a cartel, doesn’t it?”

“That’s true. What if I wake up tomorrow with a tail?”

“Just think of it as karma.”

“Nowadays, karma seems to come with rewards—ah, wait! Where are you—kyaa!”

*Splash.*

Dice, who floated in the air for a few seconds, soon merged with the water splash, and a few seconds later, she crawled out, soaking wet. The water was lukewarm, so it wasn’t much of a problem.

Dice, dripping with water, approached within three meters of me and shook herself off. She resembled a golden retriever. Of course, mentioning this aloud would be bothersome, so before she could complain, I shoved a lamb chop into her mouth.

Thanks to the grill installed on the table to keep the food warm, the meat was not just warm but piping hot. When she bit into the steaming lamb chop, there was a comical display of exaggerated reactions in front of me.

“Ow, hot, hot….”

“Is it good?”

Of course, the answer came a bit late.

After gulping down the lamb chop and washing her throat and mouth with a soda bottle from the tray, she finally spoke again.

“Really, who stuffs someone’s mouth like that!?”

“Do you want to touch my tail?”

“…Yes.”

This was the carrot and stick approach.

I placed my unique-colored tail on Dice’s lap, who was perched on a chair. Harmony also approached, holding a plate of food. She set it down on the table and began to stroke my tail.

While the two of them busily played with my tail, I began replenishing my calories. In other words, it was time to eat. After operating the touchscreen to order a few more dishes, I started to devour the meat on the platter.

I heard the clatter of plates. If the food ran out, my tail worked hard. When I placed a plate on my curled tail, I would bring it over to put more meat on it and bring it back to Harmony and Dice.

Luckily, there was no one around, so this bizarre scene remained a secret known only to the three of us.

After some time had passed, and after our meal, the mischief began.

“Yoo Jin, I want to see you swim.”

“Does an anaconda really swim well?”

“You’re curious about everything, aren’t you?”

Of course, I was good at swimming. No, I was more than good. In fact, the only person who swam better than me was… Christopher, who clocked an average speed of 22 km/h in tactical swimming.

My top speed was 16 km/h, which was crazy enough. No wonder they called him a shark. Maybe this is why Awakeners couldn’t participate in Olympic events. And he did that while carrying various gear.

Anyway, back to the main point….

“If you play in the water with me, you’ll be begging to get out within an hour.”

“How long do you plan to stay in the water?”

“About three hours?”

“Ah, really!”

Unfortunately for them, their mischief was mercilessly quelled by my Awakener-Humanities lecture. They didn’t even wait for the introduction about understanding the traits of Awakeners and immediately jumped into the pool as if racing.

Of course, within 20 seconds, I had to pull them both out of the water. They had committed two major no-nos: entering the water immediately after eating and without any warm-up.

Thus, for the next hour, we chatted to digest the food and warmed up before finally splashing into the water.

So, what exactly did we do?

“Wow, wow! What is this? Why is it so fast!?”

Holding onto my tail to feel my swimming speed,

“…Gasp!”

“Kyaaa-!”

*Splash.*

Like an amusement park ride, I threw Harmony and Dice into the water. I had no idea why we were doing something akin to shot put in a pool, but as long as they were having fun, it didn’t matter.

And so, the recreational time, which included various other activities of dubious origin, continued for quite a while.

Of course, well.

Even without a clear purpose, as long as it was fun, that was enough.