I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 485

“Ugh, it’s so cold…!”

One step, two steps, and three steps into the deep blue abyss where the bottom was barely visible.

The cold sea water wrapped around my feet, knees, waist, and then my entire body, and as I submerged fully, the transparent water revealed itself to Harmony. It wasn’t the light blue or emerald-colored water that you usually associate with Hawaii. Instead, it was an endless deep blue, much like the eyes of the manifested Biyam, swimming joyfully through the sea.

Behind me, I heard a splash. It was Dice. Unlike me, who was gradually getting used to the water, Dice jumped right into the cage after wetting her body. With a splash, her yellow hair seemed to dissolve into the water.

Unlike last time, the two of us were wearing hooded rash guards, which meant we could appear on stream without any trouble. We checked our breathing, making sure everything was alright, while the thick air hoses connected to our snorkels were doing their job.

Then, we cautiously descended into the water.

‘Oh my god…!’

Oh, that startled me, lol!
Seeing this, Lorentina really is shark-inspired, haha.
Her hair color even matches that of a shark, lol!
Harmony’s face says it all, hahaha!
If a cat enters the water, it's shark food, lol.
In front of me was Lorentina.

She was smiling broadly and waving her hand. I noticed the gills-like structures near her neck—so that’s how she could stay underwater for so long without ever needing to surface. I hadn’t realized until now, but it made perfect sense.

While I was thinking this, Lorentina playfully patted the side of a massive shark that must have been over 5 meters long. She seemed to be communicating with it. Maybe it was more than just a gesture; it was probably an actual exchange.

I couldn’t help but wonder how the viewers were reacting to this kind of animal communication. Just as I was lost in thought, Lorentina finished talking with the giant shark and started moving toward the cage.

‘What is she asking it to do?’

The shark, which had been approaching the cage as if it were about to smash into it, gradually slowed down.

Then, it flicked its tail, turning to the side and rubbing its body against the cage. I wondered if it was signaling us to touch it. Cautiously, Harmony reached out and began stroking the shark’s side.

It was rougher than expected. As she stroked from the tail to the head, there was a noticeable resistance. When she stroked in the opposite direction, it was much smoother. I remembered a swimsuit designed based on shark skin. So, it seemed like this resistance was due to the water’s natural friction.

Meanwhile, the shark, seemingly uninterested, flicked its tail and slowly drifted away toward Dice’s direction. Just as it did, Lorentina, who had been hidden behind the massive shark, suddenly appeared, and she gently patted Harmony’s head.

‘Huh?’

Haha, she just patted her head!
She just casually patted her, lol!
Lorentina really treats Harmony like a cute little sibling, lol!
The way she casually patted her head, wow, lol.
What a fascinating person. Harmony couldn't help but feel fond of the situation.

It was only natural. To Harmony, Eugene and Lorentina were like big sisters. Of course, Harmony had been shocked when she learned that Lorentina and Logan were much older than she thought. But, in reality, the two of them felt no different from her peers.

Despite their age, it was clear that the aging process of manifested individuals was much slower than normal, which meant they could all be considered “sisters,” regardless of their actual age.

While lost in these thoughts, Harmony turned around to see Dice. She had her hand outstretched beyond the cage, trying to pet the shark. The same shark that had allowed Harmony to touch it had already moved toward Dice.

But that train of thought didn’t last long.

Suddenly, Harmony felt something poking the soles of her feet.

Ughhh…!!
There was a bubble rising from beneath her feet, and as she looked down through the transparent polycarbonate floor of the cage, she locked eyes with Eugene, who was smiling slightly. He was swimming underwater like a mermaid, though, on closer inspection, he looked more like a sea snake. Still, it was a beautiful sight.

Harmony and Dice’s underwater shark tour began to unfold in a completely different way than Hotteok’s group. Having spent so much time with Eugene, and going through countless bizarre situations, their steeled nerves made them more excited than frightened by the shark tour.

The expressions on Hotteok, Limit, and Kimstone’s faces as they watched Eugene’s stream were also part of this experience.

"Wait, how is Harmony not scared? How is she holding up so well in that situation?”

“Are we the scared ones, guys? Also, Limit, why did you cling to me earlier? You trying to get yourself killed?”

“Hey, the shark came towards me! You were scared too!”

“Such wimps...”

As the three exchanged playful banter, it was clear that even though the fear of sharks wasn’t completely dismissed, Harmony and Dice’s courage had certainly surpassed the average person’s. After all, being surrounded by sharks that were over 5 meters long, swimming near the cage, was an intimidating sight.

The timer went off with a beep.

Fifteen minutes had passed—a short time indeed, but not long enough for them to stay longer. The cold sea water made it difficult to last any longer.

As the two of them climbed back onto the boat, wet and dripping, applause erupted.

"Wow, you guys did great."

"Seriously, you guys are amazing. Weren’t you scared?"

"It actually got more fun as time went on. Lorentina and Eugene were floating around us, so there was fun in watching them too…"

"Sounds like you’re talking about us like we’re just floating plastic bags."

Splash!

At that moment, two heads emerged about ten meters away from the boat, and it was Lorentina and Eugene.

As the people on the boat watched them approach, they quickly wondered whether they had enjoyed themselves. It didn’t seem like they were just participants in the tour—they almost seemed like the tour guides themselves. But judging by their expressions, it was clear that they didn’t dislike the experience.

As they stepped onto the boat, water dripping off them, Dice and Harmony handed over the underwater camera. The drone cam flickered to life.

Lorentina and Eugene sat down and took a sip of an ion drink from the cooler. After taking a deep breath, Eugene added:

"Swimming around like that made me really hungry. Anyone else want to go for another shark tour?"

"Ehhh, I think that’s enough for now..."

"Alright then, let’s head back to the mainland. We’ll stop for a shower first to wash off the saltwater."

Wow, that rash guard is really clinging to them... Wow...
Look at those curves, haha...
I really want to say so much, but I can’t...
From now on, my favorite animals are sharks, snakes, and polar bears.
Seriously, I’ve gotten all the clips, but I know you’re different...
Lorentina and Eugene, however, paid no attention to the chat.

With the shark tour causing quite a stir, the real sightseeing in Hawaii was about to begin.

“…Seriously, being on an island, all I can see is the sea. No matter how beautiful the emerald-colored ocean is, if there’s a beach where you can step on the sand, there will definitely be a few people gathered around.”

“That’s how it is when the whole island is a tourist spot. Later, let’s watch the fireworks.”

“I guess so. Ugh…”

Hawaii, a paradise granted by the sky.

No matter where you looked, beautiful landscapes that could be framed as a picture, overflowing with people, and sporadic hula performances happening in the plaza within the hotel grounds.

However, while it was true that the atmosphere of a tourist spot could excite a person, the seven of us—myself included—who had spent the whole day exploring the island and experiencing the full Hawaiian tour, were starting to lose some of that excitement due to exhaustion. Perhaps it was because we had been moving around all day.

Of course, tomorrow, we would be recharged and full of energy again.

“You can still look forward to more. A pilgrimage to the beach is a must, and there’s still the yacht tour, jetpack flying, and if you want, paragliding. You can even take a helicopter tour and view a volcano from the sky.”

“Wow, but Eugene, can you ride the helicopter?”

“Because of the weight limit, I can only take one person with me, including myself.”

“Ah…”

^250kg^
It's not a helicopter tour, it’s more like flying in a Little Bird with foldable seats for city infiltration, lol.
They should be showing us how to infiltrate with a helicopter, not doing a sightseeing tour, haha.
Now that it's come to this, should we just borrow a helicopter from the nearby military base?
Sigh.

As usual, the chat was flooded with nonsense. I wondered how much cleaner the world would be if I could just scoop these guys into a trash can and shoot them into space. With that thought in mind, I sat on the balcony, gazing at the night sky.

I briefly thought about having dinner at the hidden lounge on the upper floor, but since the weather was perfect today, like it had been yesterday, with not a cloud in the sky, I decided to order room service and enjoy it on the outdoor balcony terrace, listening to the cool sea breeze and the sound of the waves crashing on Waikiki Beach.

Naturally, the cost was zero. Long live my parents.

I decided to check in with the group again as I continued to focus on dinner while also leisurely scanning the darkened Hawaii.

Boom!

“Wow.”

“It’s starting.”

Fireworks erupted from the wall of the Icarus Residence and the beach right in front of us. What had initially been a small explosion soon blossomed into a magnificent display, spreading brilliant light in all directions. Thousands of fiery petals bloomed in the late autumn sky over Hawaii.

Despite the delicious, steaming food filling the table in front of us, the sight was enough to make us stop eating for a moment.

Whether it was because of me or not, the Icarus Residence had been advertising the fireworks since the day before. The beach was packed with more people than one might expect for a nighttime event, and the sound of the fireworks could not be drowned out by the cheers and applause of the crowd.

Harmony and Dice, who had learned a bit about my family by now, had a peculiar smile as they realized the fireworks were happening because of me. Hotteok’s group, on the other hand, couldn’t tear their eyes away from the scene unfolding outside.

After a while, someone casually remarked.

“I swear, just as I start getting used to it, they hit me with another fantastic sight…”

“I’ve been to a few places, but I’ve never felt like I’ve entered another world this much.”

“Why does this remind me of the shooting we did a while ago…?”

Well, there goes the mood. Lol.
Is this really Eugene we're talking about??
Hotteok, Limit, and Stone’s faces are already like they've lost their country, lol.
What are you staring at? You guys are supposed to be shooting tomorrow or the day after, lol.
Training isn’t over yet...
It hasn’t ended, it’s just starting, lol.
Whoosh!

In that moment, Hotteok, Limit, and Stone’s expressions shifted to a kind of blankness as Harmony’s words crashed into them. Naturally, Harmony was the one who spoke.

I couldn’t help but laugh at their confused faces. The fireworks kept going off in the background. I was curious about what Harmony would say next, but thinking about it, it wasn’t such a random comment after all.

The sound of fireworks made me think of gunshots… and that could lead to PTSD, but of course, that wasn’t the case at all.

Anyway, about the shooting.

With the announcement that Hotteok’s group was indeed coming to Hawaii, the mock operation scheduled for the second day was postponed, and the trip could stretch for as long as we wanted. This meant we could easily fit in a shooting session on any day except the day we left.

That said, if we were to get them involved, they would need to sight in their weapons... which meant I’d need to take them back to the shooting range. Safety training, sighting adjustments, and familiarizing them with various firearms was something only Lorentina and I could handle on our own.

‘Wait a minute.’

At the same time, I made eye contact with Harmony and Dice.

Seeing them munching away like hamsters, I figured they hadn’t expected me to say anything. But within a few seconds, they would know.

If I were to get them involved in this training, we’d need an instructor—someone to help with sighting adjustments, safety education, and a variety of heavy weapons experiences. The answer to that was simple.

“You two.”

“Uh?”

“Would you be willing to take on the role of instructor at the shooting range tomorrow or the day after?”

“...Huh.”

Instructor.

Or firearms instructor.

Or even coach.

While Hotteok’s group was trying to process what I said, Harmony and Dice, who had spent more time with me, were having a mini brain freeze. But soon, they seemed to gauge whether it was possible and whether they could actually do it.

After a few seconds, it clicked.

The two of them, who had never been to a training camp, suddenly had these incredibly mischievous smiles, as though they were born to be instructors, and added enthusiastically:

“Hotteok, Limit, and even Hyuna—are we teaching them? Of course, we’re confident we can do it better than anyone!”

“I think this might be the most fun suggestion you’ve made recently.”

“...Uh, wait, Minah? Dice? Why are you guys acting like this?”

“I... I think I forgot to bring something from Korea. I’ll be back in a second. My mom just called and asked me to bring some kimchi, so I’ll—kyaaaa!”

“Come here, Owls 1, 2, and 3!”

What the hell, lol.
How did we go from enjoying fireworks to suddenly being instructors?
Who cares, lol. It’s fun!
Welcome to Eugene’s School, everyone! Lose all hope!
Well, that's how it goes.

Once again, the method of getting things done had worked, and our little Biyam group was ready to tackle the new mission with surprising enthusiasm.

“Hehe.”

It was a delightful mess.

The autumn night sky was especially beautiful.