It’s strange, isn’t it?
Typically, characters who fall into another world try to find a way back to where they came from, but I did the exact opposite.
Maybe it’s because my time here hasn’t been that short.
Even though I’ve come back here, I’ve never really thought that I could return to my family.
If the Goddess had sent me back as the “original me,” would I really think, “Ah, I’m back!”?
The answer, of course, was “I don’t know.”
I don’t know a future I haven’t experienced. No matter how many times I go back in time and see various outcomes, I have no power in the present me.
Instead, I just try to enjoy this moment as much as I can.
The time I spent as an office worker in another world is just a thing of the past for me.
I suddenly thought about this, maybe because I think of this place as a separate world.
I’m still on Earth. It’s not like I’ve even gone to another country; I’m just in a region where Korean is spoken.
But still, the fact that I’m in a place I don’t know was enough to spark those thoughts.
Like when I first arrived in this world.
Or maybe it’s because I’m slightly out of breath.
“Hey, sis, I think I need to exercise a bit.”
“…I’m always exercising.”
“No, not just following me around. You could just join a gym like me, you know?”
“I have no interest in torturing myself.”
No, more than that, to be honest, I wish she wouldn’t talk to me so much.
Jeju Island has a unique landform called oreum.
I only remembered studying it in textbooks ages ago, so I forgot what it actually was, but coming back, I found out it’s a “ parasitic volcano.”
Of course, it’s not bubbling magma or anything. I don’t know if it’s an active volcano, but at least the oreum we’re climbing now looks like a ground at the top.
Typically, when I see pictures of oreum, they appear as laid-back paths that aren’t steep. So I thought this place would be just a casual walk-up.
However, once I arrived at the oreum, what stretched out in front of me was a literal “hiking trail” that was over 200 meters long.
I should have realized when I read that the blog comments warned to bring crampons in winter.
Wearing thick clothes in this cold weather and holding hiking poles in both hands, I was just barely making my way up, while Claire next to me showed no signs of fatigue at all.
“Oh, but this isn’t bad either. This country has a lot of mountains. How about going hiking often?”
What a horrific suggestion.
“It feels nice to be up high on days with clear air.”
“As long as it isn’t too often, I think it would be good for a change of pace.”
Uuh.
What are these guys thinking?
At this rate, I half-expect the housemates to get together and start a hiking club.
Right behind us, Mia struggled to keep up, gasping for breath, barely managing to say “Hah, huh…”
Honestly, it was kind of cute though.
“If you’re going, you all can go without me. I won’t follow.”
“…Sis, you do know that this isn’t that high for a mountain, right? It’s barely a staircase.”
Climbing stairs like this is torture just the same.
“Yeah, but I’m glad you recommended this. I’m already looking forward to what the view will be like from up there.”
No, if I had known it was this kind of place, I wouldn’t have recommended it!
I just picked it because everyone said “oreum” when they mentioned Jeju Island!
More importantly, someone should look after Mia.
…Honestly, I didn’t have the energy for that.
*
The view is nice, though.
By the time we nearly reached the top, I was too exhausted to respond to Claire and lost in my thoughts, slowly dragging myself up.
Still, at least I didn’t slip.
Just moments before we reached the top, I’d been cursing myself for choosing to hike all the way to Jeju Island.
“Haah…”
The scenery truly was breathtaking.
“How about it, sis, we made it up, right?”
Claire nudged me in the side with her elbow.
Honestly, I had no idea that climbing oreum is practically hiking. As soon as I got to this entrance, I wanted to give up right away. I just kept trying to persuade the three who love exercise, alongside Mia.
So, well, it’s nice. It really is…
“Mia, are you okay?”
“I’ll never hike again!”
Hmm.
Still, I guess I could use Mia as an excuse every time the others want to form a hiking club.
I’ll just choose to wait down here with Mia.
But since we’ve come this far, looking down…
At first, when we only played near our hotel on the first day, I didn’t really feel it but, yes, winter is definitely here.
It seems it had already snowed quite a bit before we arrived, and the view of Jeju Island from here was truly a ‘winter landscape.’
Mia, who had been panting heavily, seemed to regain her senses slightly and admired the white scenery.
“See, sis? Even from this height, it looks so beautiful. Just imagine how amazing it will be from higher up!”
Should I confess that the reason I didn’t include hiking Hallasan in our plans for Jeju was simply that I don’t like hiking?
Yeah, better not say it. I feel like they’d really want to climb Hallasan if I give them any ideas.
Click.
I snuck beside Claire, who was busy taking pictures, and she smiled at me while snapping a shot of me against the snowy backdrop of Jeju.
Before I knew it, Alice, Charlotte, and Mia all gathered close to me, taking pictures together and then rotating to take shots of each other.
Yeah.
Regardless of when we go back, it’s all about the memories captured in pictures.
When I get home, I should seriously print all the photos.
In the distant future, even if I become an emperor and a king and everything gets torn apart, I mustn’t forget these memories.
So that when I meet them again as an old man who no longer cares about politics and everything else, I can revive this memory.
*
My absolute favorite seafood is sashimi.
And, among sashimi, my absolute fave is flounder.
Isn’t it fortunate? Out of all those seafood, my favorite is a fish that’s farmed.
“…But honestly, I still don’t understand why we eat sashimi.”
“That’s why we bought it wrapped up separately. Just in case there’s any left over, it’s a shame.”
I chuckled at Claire’s remark.
We’d come in from outside after eating various things.
We had extravagantly instant noodles loaded with seafood and Jeju black pork, among others.
The seafood ramen tasted amazing, but honestly, I couldn’t really tell what was so different about Jeju black pork compared to regular pork. Well, I just ate it because it was more delicious.
Since we’re here, wouldn’t it be a waste not to eat local specialties?
“Still, the yukhoe is delicious.”
Alice said, defending me.
“I was shocked the first time I saw it. I thought I might die from eating it.”
Well, I felt uneasy when I tried it for the first time too… but having eaten it for decades without dying, I thought, “Eh, whatever.”
Though overseas, there were cases where people died from bad management, I didn’t think it was necessary to mention that.
“I’m surprised we still have two days left.”
Claire mentioned.
“Time flies when you’re having fun, but still, it’s a bit reassuring when you think about it like this.”
“I can understand what you mean.”
When you combine annual leave with weekends and holidays to create a long break, the first couple of days feel so peaceful. You can think, “Today is gone, but tomorrow is coming~ and the day after tomorrow is here~” and just take it easy.
But then it gets to the last day, and you feel like you might die tomorrow.
Despairing at the thought of not being able to relax anymore makes you feel like your heart will just stop. Yup, I know that feeling.
…But isn’t that just us?
It’s just a matter of turning the broadcast on or off.
“Speaking of which, want to go to the pool one more time?”
“…I’m sorry, but my arms and legs are really sore after that oreum hike.”
“M-Me too.”
As the two weakest of the five-member party whined, Claire let out a long sigh.
“Hih…”
…
Cute, but still, it’s tough.
If we keep playing like this, we might be found dead by morning. Swimming takes a lot of muscle, you know.
“There won’t be many days like this left, so why don’t we have a little fun?”
“Actually, you just want to go out and play, don’t you?”
When I narrowed my eyes at Alice, she stuck her tongue out and looked away.
“Since we came to play, how about making a few more fun memories?”
“…”
But when Charlotte gently urged us with a soothing voice, my heart shifted a little.
“Then, I’ll just watch you all from outside.”
“M-Me too.”
Under the gazes of the three remaining, both Mia and I finally surrendered, saying that.
And we had forgotten one small detail.
The weather outside was way too chilly for just wearing swimsuits.
In the end, escaping the cold, we jumped into the warm pool full of water and got swept up in the playful antics of the three energetic girls for quite a while until we were completely worn out.
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