Dream Breaker

As expected since it was said to be in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the coach and I traveled by boat from the port.

'I wanted to try flying on an airplane...'

Still, I was somewhat satisfied.

As I looked at the overwhelming expanse of the ocean, where only water was visible even after hours of travel, I felt with my whole body how small and insignificant I was-

"What are you thinking about, spacing out?"

"...I was admiring the greatness of nature."

"Geez! I'm already missing the land, but you seem to be a true swimmer. Different aptitude."

"That's true."

The coach, who was bored and talking to me from time to time, seemed to be getting more and more exhausted day by day.

"Moon-soo."

"Yes."

"Are there no ghosts on this boat?"

"All of a sudden?"

Did he really lose his mind?

"I thought I knew a lot about you, but I've never seen you work as a shaman."

"You didn't want to see it, did you?"

When did he ask me not to chase after water ghosts?

It was absurd.

"That's what I said during regular training! Now it's just eating, sleeping, eating, sleeping. It feels like I'm being raised!"

"Hmm..."

It was indeed like that.

A narrow two-person room with only one bunk bed, an unbearable meal that seemed to be soaked in salt, and a public bathroom that got dirtier as time went by...

It was definitely reminiscent of a 20th-century prison.

"Isn't it hard for you?"

"It's hard."

In fact, it's not hard at all.

The food on the boat was generally too salty, but other than that, I had no complaints.

It's not like I'm working part-time until dawn, is it?

I can sleep as much as I want.

"Sigh..."

"Coach, please bear with it a little longer. We'll be arriving soon."

"Don't mess with me. I'm still older than you. Do you think I can't stand it and keep complaining?"

"......"

It was amazing to hear someone who had been complaining all day say that.

At that time,

(Attention, passengers.)

The announcement was heard.

(In about 15 minutes, we will arrive at our destination. The boat may shake, so please return to your room and wait.)

"Oh!"

"Coach, I think I can really see the land."

"Where?!"

"Over there!"

I pointed to something faintly visible on the horizon.

"Oh!"

"...But, Coach, didn't you say we were training on a luxury cruise ship?"

"I did. What's the problem?"

"That's an island, not a ship. You must be mistaken."

"Very good question!"

"Is it?"

"The luxury cruise ship where the first team is training is 10km away from that island."

"You don't mean...?"

He said exactly 10km, not 5km, 8km, or 20km.

That means,

"When you arrive at the island, you can unpack your luggage at the reserved hotel, and then swim to the luxury cruise ship. It's like a 10km marathon training."

"Are you crazy..."

I couldn't help but think that he had really lost his mind.

* * *

The accommodation was so good that I suspected the coach embezzled the transportation budget.

A spacious bed, soft sofa, beautiful view, shower room, toilet, open-air bath...

If it weren't for the insane training, I would be happy.

"Get some rest and see you tomorrow morning. If there's any problem, contact me."

"Huh? What about you, Coach?"

I thought we were sharing a room.

I wondered where he would sleep after just dropping off his luggage.

"......"

"Coach?"

"I made plans to meet with another coach and vent my frustration all night. I'm also planning to drink a little alcohol."

"...I see."

Although it seemed plausible, I couldn't shake off my suspicion.

"Hmm! Anyway, let's meet at 6 o'clock local time tomorrow. Have breakfast at the hotel, and for lunch and dinner, you'll eat packed meals for diet control."

"Okay."

"...Ah! That's right. I almost forgot! The security outside the hotel is not good, so never walk around alone."

"Darn."

As someone who planned to explore the exotic streets, I was very disappointed.

"See you tomorrow!"

Thump.

The coach waved his hand and closed the door to the room as he left.

Was he the only one excited?

'That's too much!'

The 10km marathon training scheduled for tomorrow was postponed due to bad weather.

However, if what the coach said was true, it seemed like I would be stuck in the hotel until the storm passed, so sightseeing was out of the question.

I looked at the guidebook on the room's table.

"Let's see..."

Although it was written in a foreign language, it was also marked in a world common language at the bottom, so it was not difficult to read.

'I never thought I'd use the foreign language I learned at school!'

I thought I would never go abroad until the day I die.

But now, I've made a passport and am reading a guidebook in a foreign language?

I couldn't believe the changes that happened in just a few days, but I felt rewarded for memorizing difficult words and studying grammar.

"Golf course, billiards room, gym, outdoor swimming pool, bar, restaurant, convenience store..."

Various entertainment and convenience facilities were available at the hotel.

And that's not all.

Every night at 8 o'clock, various concerts were held, and on weekends, there was a circus at the outdoor swimming pool...

However, it's automatically canceled if the weather is bad!

"Sigh..."

It was very disappointing, but there were many other things to enjoy besides concerts and circuses.

How about a walk in the garden and the beach?

There were plenty of free entertainment options!

'Let's go.'

I put on the sunglasses the coach gave me as a gift and left the room.

* * *

After walking through the garden decorated with exotic trees and flowers, I think I spent about two hours walking on the sand of the beach, which was empty due to the typhoon warning...

I still had plenty of time left, so I was sitting in a luxurious restaurant on the top floor of the hotel, sipping iced coffee.

Money to buy iced coffee?

I wouldn't have given it a second thought if I hadn't found out that one cup is free for hotel guests per day.

"...I see why it's free."

The coffee didn't taste good, but the view from the restaurant was still quite beautiful even in the midst of the storm.

So, I was just staring at the scenery, not knowing how time passed...

"Excuse me."

"Ah, yes."

A foreigner in a wheelchair - no, a lady from the same language-speaking country asked for my understanding.

I pulled my chair back so that the wheelchair could pass and glanced at the lady who started the conversation.

She must be in her mid-50s?

The girl who I guessed to be her daughter was sitting in the wheelchair she was pushing.

'Autism...?'

The girl, who seemed to be in her mid-20s, stared straight ahead with unfocused eyes, and drool dripped from her slightly open lips.

And around her neck was a handkerchief tied like that of a newborn baby to wipe saliva and snot...

What was peculiar?

She was holding a novel with a medieval-style 2D beauty on the cover like a treasure in her arms.

<I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count.>

Just by looking at the title of the book, I could guess what it was about.

'A story of a life reversal by being adopted as a daughter by a noble?'

I wasn't interested in it, so I quickly lost interest.

Thud.

The mother with her autistic daughter parked the wheelchair by the window where the scenery was visible and sat down beside it.

Her face looked very tired.

Being human, I couldn't help but feel sympathy.

"Madam, would you like to order?"

"Yes. This and this..."

She ordered from the approaching waiter, and then, instead of admiring the beautiful view, she just looked at her daughter.

Of course, the daughter didn't even glance at her mother.

Thud.

"Huh?"

The waiter, who I hadn't called, came over and placed expensive ice cream and a spoon in front of me.

"Enjoy."

"Wait a minute! I didn't order ice cream?!"

I was so surprised that I grabbed the wrist of the waiter who was turning away and protested.

"The guest over there ordered it for you. The payment has already been made."

"Over there..."

The lady who caught my eye reassured me with a smile.

Why did she buy it for me?

I couldn't understand it.

"Hmm..."

I thought nothing in this world is free, but no matter how many times I thought about it, I didn't owe her anything.

'Well, let's eat first!'

Whether I worry or not, the ice cream won't wait.

It would be a waste if it melted, right?

I decided to ask her why she bought the ice cream if she was still there when I finished eating.

* * *

"Wow..."

The iced coffee they gave for free was disappointing, but the ice cream with snacks and marshmallows was delicious.

Ting~

I neatly finished up by putting a spoon in the empty glass.

I was happy.

"Thank you, I enjoyed it."

I expressed my gratitude to the lady with that feeling.

"Did you come on a trip alone?"

I answered her question honestly, as she comfortably leaned back in her chair and rested.

"No. I came for a training camp."

"Like a retreat?"

"Yes. I'm a swimmer."

When the storm passes, I have to swim to a luxury cruise ship 10km away from the island. And it's a round trip?

Just thinking about it makes me depressed.

"It must be fun every day. Training in a beautiful resort."

"Ha, ha..."

If you only exclude the murderous training, maybe?

I'm realizing that it's not easy to become a national representative, which is only allowed for the best athletes.

"How long are you staying?"

"I'm not sure."

"Personally, I hope you stay longer. As you can see, there are many foreigners here, so it's not easy to find someone to talk to."

"Why?"

"I can't speak any foreign languages... I can only do basic orders and greetings necessary for daily life."

"I see."

I didn't understand the reason for staying abroad for a long time, considering the language barrier.

"Are you curious?"

"About what?"

"The reason for living here."

"...A little."

The lady seemed to want to continue the conversation in any way.

Should I say she was starved for conversation?

Although I didn't ask for it, I wanted to repay her for the expensive ice cream she bought me. There was nothing to do if I went back to the room now.

Swoosh-

So, I grabbed a chair and sat near the wheelchair.

Did she notice my intention?

The lady spoke with a noticeably happy expression.

"My daughter said she wanted to live on this island as a birthday gift before she became like this."

"Aha!"

It seems to be a very rare acquired autism.

"Of course, I told her it couldn't happen. It's been almost a year since then. The day after tomorrow is my daughter's birthday..."

"Stay strong."

I had nothing else to say to the lady who looked at her daughter with a wistful gaze.

'Should I go back?'

If I stayed like this, I felt like I would become depressed by her dark atmosphere.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"Uh... not really..."

"The carbonated tropical fruit juice is cool and delicious. I highly recommend it."

"...I'll have it gratefully."

Weak to food, I gave up on escaping.

"My daughter is..."

The lady kept talking, recalling her daughter's appearance before she got autism.

Habits, hobbies, personality...

Not all stories were good.

"After entering puberty, she resented her father a lot. She said she had no boyfriend because she looked like her father."

"Oh, really..."

Isn't that too sensitive?

From my subjective point of view, her face and body were not so bad that she wouldn't have a boyfriend.

Of course, compared to Song Seon-young...

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Choke! No, I don't."

I almost choked on the surprise question from the lady.

"Is it because you have high standards?"

"No. I haven't even thought about dating. I was too busy with part-time jobs and didn't have any free time."

"Well….. still, you're 100 times better than my daughter who only looked for a prince on a white horse."

"Ha, ha... Thank you."

Even though her mother was watching right next to her, the girl sitting in the wheelchair had no reaction at all.

Isn't her condition much closer to that of a vegetative state than autism?

But considering she's tightly holding the book in her arms, it seems she's not completely without will...

"That book is my daughter's favorite romance novel. She never wants to let go of it, so it's always a struggle to wash her."

"I can imagine."

<I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count.>

Did she want to become a silver-haired beauty like the heroine drawn on the cover of that novel?

And the handsome man gently holding the heroine from behind might be her ideal type...

"Are you sleepy?"

"...I guess so. Suddenly, I'm feeling drowsy. I should go-"

* * *

In the blink of an eye, my view changed.

I, who was in the middle of a conversation on the top floor of a luxury hotel, was standing in the middle of a green meadow.

'What's going on?'

Rustle, rustle~

As I unconsciously looked in the direction of the cool breeze, I swallowed a bitter laugh.

"Heh, heh, heh..."

It was because I could barely see the medieval European-style walls and village, which are almost impossible to find in modern times.

"This is crazy."

The sleepiness suddenly disappeared.

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