Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea

Chapter 120

When I first came here, was the research center already submerged? Was the previous time a unique situation that allowed us to go to the research center? I stopped my train of thought.

We were planning to find Kim Ga-young and return to the sports center anyway, so we had no intention of going to the South District research center. The immediate decision we needed to make was whether to go to the South District dormitory or not. I asked Kang Soojung and Seo Jihyuk:

“… If Ga-young was trapped in her room but someone rescued her, what do you think she’d be doing right now?”

Seo Jihyuk shrugged lightly. Then he asked me slowly:

“‘Originally’, Kim Ga-young should be writing a plea for help around this time, right? But she didn’t write it?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Kang Soojung spread out her five fingers and folded her thumb.

“One. Kim Ga-young somehow managed to escape the room by luck, but the dormitory is still flooded.”

Seo Jihyuk folded Kang Soojung’s index finger while saying:

Ah. That’s the worst option. I made the most positive statement while folding Kang Soojung’s third finger.

“Three. Kim Ga-young left the room and headed somewhere other than the dormitory. … This seems like the best option for Kim Ga-young.”

If Kim Ga-young had been rescued, she would have already left the dormitory. Please let it be so. Kang Soojung scratched the corner of her mouth and said:

“Let’s assume the doctor’s statement is correct and head towards the escape pod port. Since all the people who escaped from West District gathered there, those who escaped from the South District dormitory might all be gathered there too.”

Seo Jihyuk quickly agreed and added:

“Actually, the architectural design here is made so that when you leave the dormitory, your steps naturally lead you to the corridor with the escape pod port. Since the South District escape pod port is the closest from here, let’s check there first.”

“Yes. … What do you plan to do if Ga-young isn’t at the escape pod port?”

Are we going to enter the flooding dormitory? Kang Soojung hesitated for a few seconds before answering:

“I think we’ll have to decide that when we get there.”

When I looked at Seo Jihyuk, he saw my gaze and showed an expression of uncertainty before exclaiming “Ah!” and saying:

“I basically follow the deputy team leader’s opinion. Unless it’s a time when I need to speak up, assume I’ve left my opinions to Deputy Team Leader Kang.”

Kang Soojung turned to Seo Jihyuk, who was walking behind, and said incredulously:

“You always speak up.”

“That’s right. Because my opinions are valuable.”

I can’t help but laugh at how ridiculous this is. Kang Soojung shook her head. The three of us quickly walked down the corridor towards the escape pod port. Seo Jihyuk, at the end of our group, surveyed the rear before taking the lead again and said to me:

“Doctor. Our deputy team leader already knows this well, but let me make one request. When I say we need to go, you need to leave quickly.”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t you know ‘How beautiful is the back of one who leaves, clearly knowing when it’s time to go’?”

What is he talking about? … I’ve heard this somewhere before. I couldn’t have imagined Seo Jihyuk suddenly quoting a poem in this situation, so it took several mental replays of the sentence before I realized where I’d heard it.

“Isn’t that from a classic poem we learned before?”

“Oh. Our Jihyuk knows even things like this.”

“It means to time your exit well before things go south, right?”

I’m pretty sure the poem was about flower petals falling, and it was sad and regretful. Was there such a meaning as Seo Jihyuk said? It’s been so long since I learned it that I can’t remember. Kang Soojung also stroked her chin with a puzzled expression.

“I don’t think that’s it.”

“Hit and run is very important in life. I’ll let you know the perfect timing to leave, so when that time comes, you need to go quickly. Without looking back. Understood?”

Seo Jihyuk’s tone was playful, but his eyes looking at me were serious. How would he know such timing? Although I couldn’t remember, the back of my head felt slightly chilled due to actions that the past Seo Jihyuk had committed in front of me. … I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to see it again either. With a slight tension, I nodded as if entranced while looking at Seo Jihyuk.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

And with all the previous seriousness gone, Seo Jihyuk, who had been standing in the corridor in front of the escape pod port for a moment, slipped inside first. A few seconds later, when we entered following his frivolous hand gesture from outside the port door, there were about 20 people gathered inside the escape pod port. … That’s a lot more than I expected.

As we newly entered the port area, everyone turned their heads to look at us. A few were staring intently at me while talking with the people next to them, and my face felt like it was burning from how hard they were looking. I… haven’t been the center of attention like this very often. It seemed to be more so because, unlike Seo Jihyuk and Kang Soojung, I was the only one wearing casual clothes.

Inside the escape pod port, there were three types of people: those who were watching with folded arms, those trying to board the escape pods in front of them, and those trying to stop them. Especially the latter two groups of about a dozen people were arguing, and it was almost close to a physical fight rather than just an argument.

Let go of my arm. If I miss this escape pod, it’s all your fault. What kind of professor are you? Aren’t you trying to take this escape pod instead of me? You bastards. I never liked you from the start. How dare you cheat on me? You think I ever liked you? You idiots with nothing but vanity in your heads. Didn’t you hear the broadcast? What if someone sabotaged the escape pods beforehand as the broadcast said? You’ll just die if you board. You believe that, you idiot? You pathetic fools! Will you take responsibility if I die? It’s a misunderstanding. Sweetie. Why would I ever look at anyone else but you? And do we have to discuss this right now? Aren’t you embarrassed to go around presenting that as a thesis? If it were me, I’d have committed suicide by shoving cranberries up my nose. How can we trust an Asian dentist who’s only been here for a few days? Honestly, watching you Asians work, I wonder if they even verify your qualifications before hiring. Don’t you just massage with incense while drooling in people’s mouths? Have you ever done anything besides breathing? Your very existence is air pollution. I’m British! You crazy racist! My family has lived in England since my grandfather’s time, how many more years will it take to stop hearing this? What? Do you know how many Asian friends I have? How dare you call me a racist?! Hey. If you let go of my arm, I’ll take care of your skull first. You brag about your degree when you just bought it with money. Taste a big Asian head! Do we have to settle this now? Yes, we have to settle this now. Save your excuses for hell, you piece of trash. … Die! Die!

An Asian man with dark blue dyed hair was headbutting a black man wearing a tank top, and four white middle-aged men were hurling insults at each other, rolling on the floor while throwing punches and kicks. And a woman with bronze skin was beating a white man while forcibly pushing him into an escape pod.

Several researchers were either slightly retreating from this scene or pretending to stop it while pushing or hitting others. Seeing Kim Ga-young’s healthy appearance beside this pandemonium, I felt the tension in my whole body dissipate.

“Ga-young!”

When I called out her name in delight, Kim Ga-young quickly punched the back and head of a white man who had rolled towards her, then quickly stepped back pretending she hadn’t done anything. Then she looked at me and around me, saying:

“Oh. Jihyuk. Soojung-eonnie.”

Kang Soojung waved her hand. Kim Ga-young approached us, then looked at me awkwardly and nodded slightly.

“Hello. I’m Kim Ga-young. Nice to meet you?”

“I’m Park Mu-hyeon. Nice to meet you.”

I thought that I would never forget this strange feeling I get every time I greet people I already know as if meeting them for the first time, no matter how much time passes.

I could feel a few people around turning their heads to look at me after that greeting. Kim Ga-young nodded and asked:

“Ah. I heard the broadcast. You said not to board the escape pods, right?”

“Yes. Fortunately, many people didn’t board.”

“Some didn’t board because they believed the broadcast, some were stopped, some were too busy fighting to board, and some didn’t board because they wanted to watch the fight before dying. That’s how it is.”

Kang Soojung took Kim Ga-young’s hand and said:

“It’s been weeks since we’ve seen each other. You said you were busy? Yoo Geum-yi is also gathered with our team now. Let’s go together, Ga-young.”

“Uh… What about the others?”

“Just you. Let’s just take you with us.”

When Kang Soojung cut her off, Kim Ga-young was a bit taken aback. Kang Soojung held Kim Ga-young’s hand and said:

“Let’s just think about getting you out of here alone first.”

Kim Ga-young was frowning in thought. After about 30 seconds, she glanced at a few researchers and replied somewhat slowly, looking troubled:

“… I’ll stay with my fellow researchers. My junior is here, two of my friends are over there clapping, and there’s also a crazy doctor who’s busy cleaning the floor by rolling around and with whom I need to write a paper together.”

The words “You came with us before” were on the tip of my tongue. This is different from before. To Kim Ga-young, I’m just a stranger who broadcast some suspicious content that she somehow figured out. Of course, I desperately want to escape together.

“If all the people here come to Orphion together, would it be possible to accommodate them in that place?”

Of course, whether people would follow me is the problem, but these are people who didn’t board the escape pods after hearing my broadcast. Wouldn’t they at least listen to some extent? Moreover, if that sports center is designed to dodge bullets, I thought it would be good for as many people as possible to take shelter. Kang Soojung looked at me with slight surprise and shook her head.

“Doctor, you really haven’t been to the sports center, have you? It’s extremely small. If we take all the people here, it would be over thirty people, which means about five people would have to float in the air.”

… I understand why Kang Soojung told me those things on our way here.