[Tricky Personal Site - Eugene]
[Notice] Going on a Trip
As I’ve been announcing consistently, I’m leaving for Hawaii starting today.
The departure will be a little late. If we depart from Incheon at 8:00 PM, we’ll likely arrive in Hawaii around 9:00 AM. The flight will take about 9 hours, so I imagine the stream will start around morning time in Korea, though I’m not sure.
Since we’re leaving on a Sunday evening, there might not be many people from Korea who will be able to watch the stream. I’ll try to keep the stream going as much as I can, so feel free to join in at any time.
When we arrive in Hawaii, Laurentina will be waiting for us. Everyone probably doesn’t show it, but I’m sure they’ll love the shark, so if you see the shark appearing occasionally on the stream, don’t be surprised and just enjoy it!
As for what I’ll be doing in Hawaii, I won’t spoil it here. I did mention it before though. I wonder if there are any viewers living in Hawaii. If I meet anyone, I’ll make sure to greet them happily. 😊
Harmony and Dice are practically regular members now, so you can expect to see them often. And considering their improved English skills, they might even be a point of interest for the viewers.
The notice has been set to post automatically at 6:30 PM, and by that time, Harmony, Dice, and I will be on a limousine bus heading to Incheon International Airport, crossing the road.
It just occurred to me, but maybe I should bring along the editor and thumbnail designer next time. Anyway, that's that.
See you tomorrow!
[All Comments] [By Date]
= What is this??? Are they going to Hawaii to sunbathe their tails??? Are they waxing their tails and rolling around???
Oh...
R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.
Ah, wow.
= Fact: Everyone openly expresses that they love sharks.
= Teacher, did you think we wouldn't watch at 5 AM? Take that! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Lazy bastard, lol.
Yeah, I’m on duty~~~~~
Ah.
= What is it with Shark Eyes constantly popping up on the stream when they're bored???
Isn’t this person just working in the military? If they’re hanging out with Logan, they probably have some military job.
I don’t know what’s going on, but Shark probably has some big role too. 100% chance it’s important.
Considering the amount of free time, they’re probably high rank in some PMC, right?
= So, they’re going to shoot guns in Hawaii, huh? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
= I thought they'd rest after the final, but now they're actually going to shoot guns with the little shark. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
= No way, teacher! We call that a training camp, not a vacation!!!!!!!!!
Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
So what can the little shark do? Besides crying, what else? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Fact: They can do that.
= Dice should be thankful Logan isn’t coming...
He probably got chewed up by a polar bear ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
"Predator"
Wwww
= Harmony and Dice are going to Hawaii in full gear, sweating and shooting? Should I press the upvote if I’m looking forward to it???
I’m first! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
These guys are going to come back thinner, not fatter. ㅋㅋㅋ
= ?? : I think instead of the refreshing ocean smell, it’ll just smell like gunpowder on their bodies...
= What is it with virtual reality training for the shark, really...ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
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[Announcement] The plane is expected to land at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in 5 minutes...
"Ugh, I slept so well... Are we there already?"
"I didn’t understand what it meant to not need time to adjust to the time difference, but now I get it."
"I told you so."
The view of Hawaii through the narrow plane window.
The flight, which departed at 8:00 PM, crossed the Pacific Ocean for 9 hours, and as the time on my phone automatically adjusted to Hawaii’s time, it read 8:55 AM. After spending about two hours in first class and falling asleep, we were greeted by the morning sunlight.
Even though we traveled a great distance with a significant time difference, it felt as if I had just woken up from a sleep in Korea, greeted by the refreshing morning sun. This is exactly why I told these two that the time difference wouldn’t be that big of a deal for them.
The plane landed without any issues, and outside the window was a completely different scene from Incheon Airport. It was a smaller airport compared to Incheon, but that was expected since Incheon is such a large, non-standard airport.
While I was lost in these pointless thoughts, the plane came to a complete stop.
The two of them opened their personal seat covers and stepped outside, their faces sparkling. The excitement of the trip had clearly taken over them.
The small airport had now grown so large that we could hardly see it all. The moving gates, connecting the hundreds of passengers from the plane to the airport, slid tightly against the plane, and the doors opened, letting the Hawaiian air seep inside.
Of course, as expected, there was nothing particularly special about it.
If anyone asked whether Hawaii smells like coconuts, I could proudly say, "No way."
"Let’s meet downstairs. Go through customs and don’t lose your bags."
"Oh, right. You have dual nationality."
"I’ll wait with Laurentina."
Well, the fact that I had American nationality was a minor detail.
The reason was simple. This world’s treatment of those with manifested abilities was... quite standard. As soon as we stepped out of the plane, an airport employee who had been waiting for us guided me somewhere, where we just had to do an on-the-spot interview.
Compared to the past when JFK Airport in the US was overcrowded, with many travelers during the holiday season, here things were quite different. Especially considering it was off-season.
I didn’t know what kind of situation Moni and Dice were experiencing, but by the time the plane door had been open for less than two minutes, I had already collected all three of our bags and was heading downstairs.
And, as expected,
"Youngest-!"
"Ugh, stop sneaking up and scaring me!"
Finally, the shark, who had been waiting for us, appeared.
Naturally, they weren’t dressed in the noisy tourist fashion from our recent video call. If I had to describe it, their outfit was rather normal. They wore thin black pants and a white T-shirt that fluttered in the wind as they ran towards us.
Hawaii’s October had a pleasant, cool temperature around 26°C, and I, too, had a similar outfit to Laurentina’s.
The shark, who seemed about to give a jumping hug, quickly slowed down.
After a quick shift in demeanor that felt almost fake, Laurentina scanned the surroundings before speaking.
"Those two must still be busy upstairs. This seems to be the luggage for the new juniors, but it’s surprisingly light for a five-day stay."
"We decided to buy everything we need here, including yours."
"I’m not one to refuse goodwill, so we’ll gladly accept it. Heh."
What should I say?
Talking with Laurentina made me feel like I was back in the past. Even though the beautiful location and scenery didn’t match any part of my past memories, I couldn’t shake the feeling — though, it wasn’t all painful memories coming back.
In fact, with the characters the same as they were back then, the memories of the time that had once felt as sharp as blades were now starting to dull.
And considering I was thinking about it casually, it was all the more fitting.
There were more things reinforcing that idea.
"Teacher-!"
"We’re done, Ugh! Laurentina’s here too!"
"Heh. Have you two been well, little snakes?"
At this point, the nickname "little snakes" had become official.
Of course, what made me feel even more awkward was that the two didn’t seem to mind the nickname. In fact, they seemed to like it. I was just thankful they didn’t ask for snake-tail tea as a Chuseok gift.
Anyway, with that aside, we started noticing more and more people around us, and we had to leave quickly. Of course, this was mostly because of me.
First, we had to check in at the hotel. We were staying at the five-star Icarus Residence of Waikiki, which overlooked the Waikiki Beach.
As you might have guessed, this was a hotel under Icarus International. If you haven’t figured it out yet, employees of Icarus usually get discounts here, but that wasn’t something I needed to worry about.
But it wasn’t the same for others.
"Ah, that’s our car. We’ll be using that for our stay in Hawaii."
"...The shape of the car looks familiar."
"Y-Yujin, are we really not paying for this?"
Surprisingly, the answer was yes.
The car’s distinctive grille and the figure of the goddess of joy on the front gave it away. Anyone with even a little interest in cars would recognize it instantly as a car from Icarus.
There was no one inside. Given the widespread use of self-driving vehicles, and considering that this was sent by my parents, it was clear the driver’s seat was for me, as it had a space for my tail.
As soon as I sat down, the smooth, cushy ride felt luxurious. The pressure on my back seemed proportional to the cost that must’ve gone into making it.
[Notification: Passenger "Yujin" recognized... Welcome. The vehicle is now ready to automatically drive to Icarus Residence of Waikiki.]
[Notification: Additional three passengers recognized... Please board.]
[Notification: Message sent successfully.]
"Wow."
"Let’s go."
"So, Yujin, this is the kind of car you like, huh?"
"No, it’s not."
The message was sent.
Now, my parents in Hawaii would know I was on my way to the hotel.
The heavy door closed silently, and with almost no noise, the vehicle smoothly slid across the road toward Waikiki Beach.
The sky was clear. The buildings around were mostly low, probably due to the airport nearby with height restrictions.
As we headed toward the city center, I could see a touristy scene. The car’s height was too low to see the ocean clearly, but the road was lined with graffiti-covered buildings.
As we entered the heart of the city, the lush banyan and palm trees clearly reminded us that this was Hawaii.
Thinking back, it was odd to confirm Hawaii just by these things.
Eventually, the car entered the hotel’s underground parking, and after parking in a designated spot, the system informed us we could exit here.
The check-in time was flexible, and with the QR code sent earlier, we could access the suite on any floor. We were free to unpack and explore afterward.
"What should we do next? Let’s have breakfast first. After that, if you want to check out the gun shop we booked, we can go. If anyone wants to do some sightseeing in Hawaii first, we can consider that too."
"I’m fine either way."
"Me too. Since we’re staying for five days, whether we start today or tomorrow, I’m sure we’ll be able to try all the content Hawaii has to offer."
"I can’t really argue with that. Let’s unpack, have breakfast, and then start streaming."
Ding.
Just then, the elevator arrived. As the doors opened, I saw the transparent walls of the elevator with the Icarus logo etched onto them. Beyond the glass, I could see Waikiki Beach.
I had heard that if you leave your luggage at the lobby, it would be sent directly to your room, but since everyone wanted to see the room, we headed straight to the suite.
As expected, the Icarus International hotel had a lot of... hidden surprises.
Even last year’s Final Championship top 10 users’ personal logos were displayed on the walls.
"Wait, this is our logo!"
"Right? I wonder if they’ll change it once this year’s top 10 list for the 4th Final Championship comes out."
"Well, they can’t just put them all in one place. Maybe they’ll engrave them on different floors?"
"That might be true..."
In the end, all of this was speculative, but after a brief, not-too-intense debate, we arrived at the suite.
With a click, the door opened, and immediately the view of Waikiki Beach filled the room. We didn’t even need to search for the beach, as it was right there on the balcony. There was even a jacuzzi with a perfect view of the beach.
Next to it was a barbecue space that seemed to be used for grilling.
Of course, the bedroom had more than four beds, and we quickly decided who would sleep in which bed.
Everyone picked a bed, placed their luggage by it, and within seconds, we unanimously agreed that breakfast should be at the hotel restaurant.
Of course, that would be a bit difficult.
As we headed to the 1st floor, where the lobby and restaurant were, we were met with the sounds of chatter growing louder.
The 1st floor lobby began to get busy.
A slight vibration reached my feet, a sensation that only my body, specifically attuned to detecting such forms of touch, could pick up. The gathered data informed me that many people were currently gathering on the 1st floor.
My parents, the VIPs the hotel was preparing for. They had arrived unexpectedly, causing quite a stir.
But no matter the fuss, we arrived on the 1st floor and walked forward for about 10 seconds before a clearly flustered staff member rushed towards us.
"...You must be Yujin, who reserved the large suite on the 22nd floor? Here’s your keycard for the 27th floor hidden lounge. Please accept it."
"Anything else they mentioned?"
"...No. Nothing else."
"Thank you."
It seems there’s another dining space besides the 1st floor restaurant here.
Laurentina had expected this, but Harmony and Dice were looking around, clearly confused.
They’d soon figure it out, so we went back the way we came and used the keycard in the elevator.
As the five additional floors (25th through 30th) opened, I selected the 27th floor. The message on the elevator screen displayed: "<VIP Moving>."
It was probably a good thing that only Laurentina and I saw that.
Ding!
The elevator stopped at about 80 meters above ground. The elegant, modern design of the space made me feel calm. It was similar to the Icarus Korean branch but with the added comfort of a pleasant fragrance wafting through the air.
As soon as we got off, a neatly dressed hotel staff approached and softly guided us to the windowside seats.
"You can sit here at the window."
"Hey, there are two seats available..."
"They’ll be here soon. Please wait comfortably."
With that, the staff member disappeared, and Harmony and Dice exchanged glances, looking around nervously.
"Wow, Yujin, did you see that? There was a middle-aged couple in fancy suits. Is this place for VIPs? When did you make a reservation for this kind of place?"
"Isn’t everyone here in a suit?"
"No, I’m not talking about that..."
Eventually, we settled around a round table for six.
Outside, the turquoise waters and the crashing waves of Waikiki Beach were visible. However, the two of them didn’t seem to notice, distracted by the unexpected additions.
Naturally, the inevitable question came.
"...You’re not suddenly going to surprise us with Logan and Owens showing up, right, Yujin?"
"That’s not likely."
"So, who could it be...?"
Of course, the ones arriving were far more amazing.
And all the while, my sixth sense was still functioning well. I felt the vibrations from the footsteps, narrowing down to 5 meters.
When the couple finally came into view, the two of them froze. They had been staring at the middle-aged couple earlier, but now were unsure what to do.
Laurentina was laughing softly, and the couple handed out business cards to Harmony and Dice.
While they were having a silly conversation about whether the couple was from Icarus International, I exchanged a light glance with my parents.
A family dinner with so many guests in a place so mismatched — something so rare in this world.
I took a deep breath, ready to introduce them.
"Let me introduce them. This is my parents, the Vice President and Director of Icarus International."
At that moment, some froze, while others couldn’t hold back their laughter and giggled.
"Though it’s sudden, welcome to meet my family."
It was the harvest season, the time when everything ripens.
And so, the story continued.
The warm family reunion, full of surprises, was both unexpected and somehow fitting. There were moments where laughter was impossible to contain, and others when every word seemed to resonate deeply. In the midst of it all, a sense of comfort and familiarity washed over them, as if time itself had slowed down to accommodate this rare moment of connection.
As they gathered around, the weight of the past and the joy of the present blended together seamlessly. They couldn’t have asked for a more perfect evening to reflect on how far they had come, and what was still ahead.
But for now, this moment — right here, right now — was all that mattered.