Moon’s Labyrinths - Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Jimin had been very busy, because she had been in the process of expanding her company .  This was why she was unable to spend as much time as she wanted with Shinhae in recent days .  This was why she had scheduled a day where they would go out and eat .

Jiyoon was invited to the outing, because she had a pretty significant relationship with Shinhae, and she had looked after Shinhae today .

Shinhae was so happy that she circled around Jimin in joy .

“We’ll be eating out with Shinhae .  Would the two of you like to join us?”

Jimin returned to her office to get her belongings .  As she did so, she posed the question to the Ross siblings .  The two of them looked around at the people within the company .

“Is the whole company going out to eat?”

Tim asked the question .

“No .  I’ll be going out with Shinhae and Ms . Jiyoon .  This isn’t a company dinner .  It is a meal between close acquaintances . ”

The welcome party for the new employees had already passed .  Jimin planned on having another one when Sungyoon came back, but she had no plans on taking the new employees to a private gathering .

“May I tag along?”

Whenever Shinhae was mentioned, Emily showed interest .

Tim looked over at Emily .  It was said that love changes a person .  Still, he always became surprised whenever his sister showed initiative .   

“Of course . ”

“Thank you . ”

Emily quickly jumped in feet first .  Of course, she expected Tim would come with her, but he shook his head from side to side .

“I’m fine . ”

Emily stared at Tim in surprise .

“What?  Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I want to go check if everything is ready for our departure . You should go .  I can do inspection by myself . ”

It was merely an excuse .  He felt a bit awkward being the only male between the three women .

Of course, he didn’t think of Emily as a woman .  She was just his sister .  Still, there were two other women, and he absolutely refused to be stuck there .

Emily was a bit conflicted .  She was an introvert, and she didn’t feel comfortable without Tim’s presence .  He was putting her on the spot .

However, they were siblings, so they knew each other’s tendencies .  Emily knew Tim wouldn’t go back on his decision .

She turned her eyes towards Shinhae .

She saw the cute child’s smiling face .

She firmed her resolve .

“Then I’ll go by myself . ”

“Alright .  Have fun . ”

As her big brother, Tim encouraged his sister’s courage .

***

A delicious smell permeated her surroundings, and she could feel the lively energy from the people around her .  Emily looked a bit awkward as she watched the meat being grilled in front of her .

The dish was called Galbi .  A metal grate was placed above the charcoal, and the heat from the charcoal cooked the Galbi .  The smell of the dish stimulated her nose .

She had never seen this dish before, but it looked delicious .  It was enough to make Emily’s mouth water .

Jimin was the one grilling the meat .

Jimin sat next to Emily, and she flipped the meat with practiced hands .  She made sure the meat didn’t burn .  Shinhae sat right across Jimin, and Jiyoon sat next to Shinhae .  Jiyoon continued to take care of Shinhae .

Jimin used the tongs to move the completely cooked Galbi to the corner of the grate .

“Please eat . ”

After giving permission for Jiyoon and Emily to eat first, Jimin started to pick out the most well-done pieces of meat, and she placed them in Shinhae’s dish .  If there was a slightly burnt part, Jimin used the scissor to trim the meat .  

“Thank you for the food!”

Shinhae spoke in excitement .  She was now quite familiar with using her chopsticks .  She picked up a piece of meat .

She tried to cool the meat by blowing on it with all her might .  It took a while to cool it .  

She put the piece in her mouth and chewed .  

“So good!”

The girl laughed .  A smile appeared on the lips of the three women when they saw Shinhae’s innocent laughter .

“Unni will cool it down for you . ”

Jiyoon cooled Shinhae’s Galbi by blowing on it .  Shinhae looked happy as she once again chewed on more meat .

“You should eat your vegetables too . ”

Jimin placed a lettuce in front of Shinhae .  Children usually frowned in disgust when presented with vegetables .  However, Shinhae wrapped the meat in the veggie, and she ate it all .

Jimin and Jiyoon took care of Shinhae every step of the way, and Emily couldn’t participate .  She didn’t know Korean, and she had no idea what these foods were .  She couldn’t step up and take care of Shinhae .

Thankfully, Jimin and Jiyoon were quick to pick up on this .  They tried to bring her into the conversation as they helped her get along with Shinhae .

Moreover, it helped that Shinhae was very interested in Emily’s brown hair .  She looked very different from the people around her .  This was why Emily was able to achieve her small wish of getting a bit closer to Shinhae .

“I’m done eating!”

The three unnis kept putting food in front of her, and she kept eating .  Shinhae put down her chopsticks when her stomach protruded like a little tadpole .

She was adorable as she let out a little burp .  

“I’m going to go play!”

She stood up from the dining table, and she headed towards a playroom located in the corner of the restaurant .  

All the women had laughter in their eyes as they sent off Shinhae .  However, an awkward silence descended amongst them when Shinhae was gone .

The three of them had met each other not too long ago, and all three of them didn’t have outgoing personalities .

The only commonality was their interest in Shinhae .  Once Shinhae was gone, they fell into this hilarious yet awkward situation .

“Let’s… . ”

Jimin was the president, so she spoke first .

“Let’s drink some alcohol?”

Both Jiyoon and Emily nodded their heads .

Several bottles of beer had been emptied, and they were slowly starting to get drunk .  This was why the three of them started to speak a little bit more freely .

Of course, Emily was a Connector, so she wasn’t drunk at all .  However, the mood had relaxed, and she was finding it easier to talk .

Still, they didn’t know much about each other .  Of course, the conversation naturally flowed towards a topic they shared .  

However, the only common topic they shared was about Shinhae and Sungyoon .  This was why they naturally found themselves talking about Sungyoon .

“When I saw Mr . Sungyoon for the first time, there was an air of sadness around him .  I also thought he was just a regular 1st Gen Connector . ”

Jimin swirled her alcohol in her cup .  She spoke in English for the benefit of Emily .

Emily couldn’t speak Korean at all, but Jiyoon was quite fluent in English .

“Ah .  I know what you are talking about .  It was the same for me . ”

Jiyoon thought about the day when she met Sungyoon for the first time .  He was a shabby middle aged man that had fallen to the bottom point of his life .  However, he looked brighter than ever when he was with his daughter .

“I met him in a very dangerous situation, so I’m unable to clearly remember my first impression of him . ”

Emily had met Sungyoon in a really dramatic fashion .  At first, she had been very disappointed when Sungyoon turned down her offer of teaming up against the Bigfoot .  However, he had changed his mind, and any disappointment disappeared in an instant when they defeated the Bigfoot .

“Still, I do remember that there was a feeling of sadness around him . ”

The three women let out small laughters .

From that point on, they started to engage in an animated conversation .  The most sociable one amongst them was Jiyoon, so she spoke the most .  Emily kept asking question, so she could learn about Sungyoon’s everyday life .  Jimin joined in occasionally .

After they conversed for a while, Emily and Jiyoon could sense it .  They knew they loved the same person .

Basically, a rival in love had appeared .

However, the two reacted in an entirely different way .

Emily looked a bit uneasy, but she didn’t feel truly threatened by Jiyoon .  It wasn’t a matter of confidence .  Even if Sungyoon chose a different woman, she was willing to become his 2nd or 3rd wife .  She didn’t think too much about it .  

She grew up in a Connector household, so this was how most people around her thought about marriage .

On the other hand, Jiyoon had grown up in a normal household, so she wasn’t familiar with such a concept .  Jiyoon’s gaze was much more guarded compared to Emily’s gaze .

Jimin had an odd look in her eyes as she observed both of them .  

“Unni!”

Another awkward silence was about to descend when an energetic and cheerful voice broke it all apart .

Shinhae had come up on them without their notice, and she draped her body over Jimin’s knees .

“You are done playing?”

Jimin stroked her head as she asked the question .  Shinhae shook her head from side to side .

“I want another bite!”

Shinhae pointed toward the grilled meat, and she opened her mouth .  She looked like a baby bird asking for food from her mother .

Jimin rolled a well grilled Galbi into a lettuce then she placed it in Shinhae’s mouth .

“Nyam!”

She looked like a chipmunk as her cheeks became full .  As she chewed her food, she went back to the playroom .

“Won’t it be a joy to become that child’s mother?”

The two of them turned to look at Jimin .

“She has been hurt very much in the past .  If you are trying to aim for the role of being her mother, you have to bring happiness to that child .  If Mr . Sungyoon decided to remarry, he’ll pick a woman capable of doing that . ”

“…you are right . ”

It was a bit embarrassing, but Emily didn’t deny her feelings .

However, Jiyoon looked flustered .

‘Mother?’

Emily was basically saying she wanted to marry Sungyoon in the near future .  Jiyoon had just awoken to her first love, so it was way too early to think about marriage .  She was also the youngest amongst them .

Moreover, Jiyoon’s love had grown slowly over time as she saw the good aspects of Sungyoon .  Emily had fallen head over heels in love when they had overcome a dangerous situation together .  Maybe, this was why their love differed .

Emily didn’t pick up on Jiyoon’s troubled mind .  She decided to ask the question that she always wanted to ask Jimin .

“What about you, president?”

Jimin’s relationship with Sungyoon was much deeper and longer compared to their relationship .  Moreover, Emily could see that Sungyoon treated her differently behind the scenes .  

Of course, Emily knew there weren't any romantic feelings between the two of them .  However, Emily couldn’t help being bothered by it .

However, Jimin shook her head from side to side .

“It is true that I feel very grateful towards Mr . Sungyoon, but I do not carry such feelings towards him . ”

“I see . ”

Emily accepted her answer at face value .

However, Jimin somehow didn’t feel good about saying those words .

She was sure she didn’t see Sungyoon in a romantic manner .  However, she was relying a lot on him a lot .

She had forcefully pushed her half given up goals on him, and he was performing beyond expectation .

She swore this on her life .  This was the first time she had felt such strong positive feelings towards a man aside from her father and two siblings .

‘I’m sure this isn’t love . ’

She was sure of that right now .  However, she also felt as if she wouldn’t be able to stop her heart from falling for him if some catalyst got the ball rolling .

“Unni . ”

A child’s clear voice broke her out of her reveries .  Shinhae, who had been playing in the playroom, had once again appeared next to Jimin .

“Hmm?  What’s wrong, Shinhae?  Do you want to eat more?”

Jimin picked up her chopsticks, and she tried to pick up the remaining meat .  However, Shinhae shook her head from side to side .

“When are we leaving?”

It seemed Shinhae was bored of playing in the playroom .  Moreover, Shinhae’s eyelids looked a little bit heavy .

Jimin looked down at her watch .  It seemed their conversation had lasted a long time . They had mostly drank and ate everything they had ordered .

“Shall we go?”

Jiyoon and Emily nodded their heads .

They exited the restaurant, and the three women went their own way .

However, each woman was in deep thought in regards to the conversation they had shared .  

***

He looked up .  He had been sick of seeing the hard ceiling of the labyrinth, but he was no longer seeing that .  He saw the vast expanse of space .

If he let go of his mind, it felt as if he could leave the confines of his body .  It felt as if he would fall endlessly into space .  It was a fantastic sight, and at the same time, it was a terrifying existence .

Still, Sungyoon was very glad to see space . He had been trapped within the labyrinth for two weeks, and he had fought fierce battles against high rank monsters .

“What?  Are you feeling the joys of life once again?”

Hyunwoo had followed out behind him .  He smirked .

Hyunowoo slapped Sungyoon on the back .

“Don't be such a baby .  Let’s hurry up and go .  You said your appointment is tomorrow .  We have to really go all out tonight and party . ”

Hyunwoo turned on his Moon Surface Vehicle, and he indicated for Sungyoon to follow him .  Sungyoon quickly got on his Moon Surface Vehicle, and he followed behind Hyunwoo .

However, the distance couldn’t be compared to what Sungyoon had to travel to reach his Personal labyrinth .  They were able to reach Armstrong in a short amount of time .  Hyunwoo dragged Sungyoon off somewhere before he could object .

Hyunwoo went to the place where he had shared alcohol with Sungyoon .  It was the bar within the unbelievable expensive hotel .