Chapter 74 – Swimming Emperor (18)
How many people have experienced jumping out of an airplane?
Click! Click!
After taking photo evidence with the outdated smartphone’s camera, I boldly jumped into the dizzying open sky.
Whoosh!
“Molang!”
The alien creature that saved my life by blocking bullets jumped with me!
“Ugh…!”
Since I wasn’t wearing proper equipment, it was hard even to open my eyes, but thankfully the altitude wasn’t very high, so I could endure it.
Flap~!
Following roughly what the flight attendant explained earlier, I pulled the strap attached to the backpack behind me, and the parachute opened wide.
‘Huh?’
This is actually fun.
If I get rich someday, I want to make skydiving my hobby.
“Hm…”
Slowly descending from high above, I observed the ground.
Palm trees, beaches, resorts, yachts…
The scenery and atmosphere clearly belonged to a tropical tourist spot.
There should be an airport somewhere as well.
Squeeze—
Wind direction mattered most for landing, but by pulling the two straps attached to the parachute with both hands, I could control it to some extent.
‘Let’s head toward the beach.’
There were no obstacles, so I wouldn’t hit anything, and sand would reduce the impact when I landed.
If needed, I could dive into the ocean to escape from a trap—
“…Wah?!”
“Molang?!”
SPLASH!
Because of strong wind, I passed over the beach and fell straight into the ocean!
“Pffah!”
My clothes got drenched, but at least I made it safely to the ground.
What now?
I needed to figure out where I was and move somewhere with a signal to send the evidence I collected.
Splash, splash.
After climbing onto land, I waved and greeted people nearby.
“Perfect weather for skydiving today!”
“Looks like you missed your landing.”
“Haha! I’m still a beginner!”
“Would you like to borrow a towel?”
“No, I’m fine.”
To avoid suspicion, I spent a bit of time blending in with the crowd. If I rushed, I’d only look like someone being chased.
“Molang-molang~”
“That hat is adorable.”
“Thank you!”
“Molang!”
While acting natural, I also gathered information and used the mobile hotspot transfer function to send the collected data.
For now, I decided to observe how things developed.
‘But there’s still not enough evidence.’
Hwang Hae-soo’s influence seemed far deeper in the country than I expected.
He wasn’t just some rich fool with money.
“Molang~”
“You’re right. I need to end this.”
First, I used my credit card to deal with my soaked clothes.
As expected for a tourist destination, the prices were outrageous—but it was all dream money anyway!
Might as well spend freely before waking up.
“Next…”
Right about now, they must be desperately searching for me.
But I had no intention of hiding and running like a fugitive.
I was sick and tired of being targeted by Hae-soo without a chance to fight back.
I wanted to obtain decisive evidence to punish him.
To do that…
“Excuse me.”
“Oh, yes?”
I randomly called out to a local guide helping tourists.
“I’d like to rent that villa over there.”
I pointed to a beautiful villa located out over the sea.
“You didn’t book a room beforehand?”
“No. Things just sort of happened…”
“Hm. Not sure how you got here, but if you go straight in that direction, you’ll find the management office.”
“Thank you!”
Before leaving this world, I might as well max out my credit card!
***
Perhaps because I’ve already experienced being drugged by airplane meals,
I started using buffet-style restaurants, where it’s harder to spike food meant for many people,
And only bought canned drinks from convenience stores.
Maybe I’m being overly cautious.
But getting so helplessly knocked out by a simple sedative was traumatic.
I used to be a legendary figure:
A body that had broken the heart of the absolute magic boy Choi Kang-min, A founding contributor of a great empire!
Yet despite such grand achievements and glorious history…
I was defeated by a cheap sleep drug.
“Thank you very much!”
“Thank you. Take care.”
Jingle~
I feasted on premium seafood at a buffet restaurant, then bought drinks and frozen food at a convenience store.
‘I wonder what happened to the plane by now? And Han-hee must be worried… oh.’
Park Han-hee, Nam Hae-soo’s wife.
I knew in reality that she was actually an elderly grandmother who remembered the old era.
But here, in this world, she existed as a young woman in her early twenties.
And she was beautiful…
“I’m hopeless!”
Am I just weak to any beautiful woman who shows interest in me?
I felt a pang of guilt toward Song Sun-young and Valentine—women I dated in the dream but left behind in reality…
Click.
I unlocked the door of the beautiful villa I rented for long-term stay.
A vacation home built over the sea.
To ordinary tourists, it would feel romantic and unique.
I chose it because I could escape through the water anytime if surrounded.
“…Huh?”
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
“I assumed you were still in Korea.”
Nam Hae-soo was drinking while staring across the horizon.
How did this happen?
He casually placed his glass on the table and spoke as if nothing were strange.
“Is it odd for me to spend time at a resort I own? I bought it last year for a honeymoon trip.”
“…Huh?”
He bought an entire vacation resort just for a honeymoon?
It sounded absurd, but it explained why the plane headed here.
“I only intended to speak briefly through video call, but things got complicated when you escaped.”
“So you came here yourself to capture me?”
“Hm… If I intended to capture you, I had plenty of chances. Once you stepped foot here, my victory was already guaranteed. Even now, snipers on that cruise ship are aiming at your head and legs.”
“……”
To my eyes, it looked like a normal luxury cruise packed with tourists.
Was he bluffing?
But I wasn’t eager to test it. I had been deliberately spending my credit card, expecting someone to come after me.
I just didn’t expect it to be him.
Nor did I expect him to bring his family.
“……”
Trickle.
Presumably his wife quietly poured his drink,
“Zzz…”
And a newborn baby slept in the stroller, sucking on a finger.
I didn’t attack him right away because of them.
A blind trust that he wouldn’t fight dangerously in front of his family.
Same for me—
‘I can’t just twist a guy’s neck with his wife and child in front of him…’
If his intention was a “temporary ceasefire,” then he succeeded.
“This is my family.”
“Are you expecting me to feel intimidated?”
“Hm. Sharp observation. My wife becomes a famous actress, but she’s driven to suicide due to forced sex work.”
“Mr. Nam Hae-soo?”
Was it okay to say that in front of the person involved?
He didn’t care and continued.
“But thanks to my help, that future didn’t come. Am I satisfied? A pointless question.”
“……”
Hearing such a revelation from her husband for the first time, she looked stunned.
Her lips parted as if to ask something, but she couldn’t say a word and lowered her head—like a secretary ordered to stand by.
There was no trace of a normal relationship built on love.
“Sit.”
“…Suddenly acting gentlemanly, are we?”
“You hit my head hard enough to sober me up.”
“When?”
“When I first got a report that a lone man overpowered terrorists armed with guns and retook a hijacked plane, then escaped with a parachute… I thought I was hearing the plot of a spy thriller.”
“And?”
“All the plans I’d prepared for years became useless.”
“What plans?”
“A plan to change Korea’s dark future.”
Trickle.
He wetted his lips with the drink his wife poured him and answered.
“Korea’s dark future?”
“You don’t know?”
“…I do. We learn history at school.”
Ding—
My mind went blank.
I felt like I had been smacked in the head, not him.
‘I was completely wrong!’
Nam Hae-soo, the Swimming Emperor.
His reputation was so overwhelming that I focused only on his career and wealth.
“The future of this country?”
“Yes.”
“And why would you try to change it? You’re not even a politician.”
The future of a nation should be determined by politicians.
Citizens?
If you don’t like your country, you can just move to another one.
Few do, due to cost or language, but still—
A citizen has no duty or obligation to “change the nation.”
“Do I seem strange to you?”
“Yes. Very.”
“You don’t seem like someone born in the old era like me.”
“I was born in the new generation, after the Human Revolution.”
“I see… Young people now have no interest in politics. That’s the difference.”
“……”
He wasn’t mocking me.
His tone was calm, like a history teacher explaining facts.
“The person who created such a society—P—is truly extraordinary.”
“What?! You met P?!”
P.
Rumored to be a squid-like alien—an unknown existence.
Nam Hae-soo answered:
“No.”
“……”
“But I lived through the era when P was active. Do you really think monkeys or aliens would invent something extraordinary to help humankind? Of course it was humans.”
“Ah, yes.”
Even someone from my generation could figure that out.
“How did you come to the past?”
“I fell asleep.”
“Oh! Same here!”
“……”
He was genuinely happy, like he’d just met someone from his hometown.
Looking up at the clear sky above the pristine resort, he said:
“The young Nam Hae-soo was extremely selfish. I did whatever it took to become a national athlete, crushing my competitors by any means necessary.”
“First I’ve heard of that.”
“Of course. I was never caught. I spiked teammates’ water bottles and reported them. I distracted them with pretty women. I made some addicted to gambling…”
“…Wow?”
This wasn’t the Swimming Emperor.
He was practically a con artist.
It was shocking.
“As repentance, I dedicated all my wealth to nurturing future athletes. I helped my colleagues and their families as well.”
“And earned great honor from it.”
“Ahem! I didn’t do it for the honor.”
Whether he meant to or not, he became honored with the title of Swimming Emperor.
But here was the question:
If someone regrets the past, they wouldn’t repeat their mistakes after going back in time.
‘So then why?’
Why was Nam Hae-soo running an armed underground organization?
“At first, I thought I was dreaming.”
“Yes.”
It is a dream.
“But even when I pinched my cheek, even after days passed, nothing changed. That was when I realized it wasn’t a dream—it was reality.”
“Yes.”
Still a dream.
I wanted to contradict him right away, but to free him from this dream, I needed more information.
What bound him to this past?
Not regret or guilt.
‘If it were that, he would’ve been reborn as Nam Hae-soo again.’
Instead, he was reborn as a different man—Hwang Hae-soo.
A handsome, actor-like face. A warm, low voice. Above-average height. Broad shoulders…
A perfect first impression.
Not surprising—dream protagonists are never ugly.
“So I pondered.”
“About what?”
“Why did a man counting down the days to his death return to the past?”
“……”
Yes. This was what I wanted to hear.
“Then I realized. I was chosen to change Korea’s bleak future.”
“Chosen…?”
“Yes.”
“Then what about me?”
“I’ve been curious about that as well. Why did you come to the old era? History research? Tourism?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
He looked at me, genuinely curious.
I responded with a smile.
“Because of you.”
“Me?”
“Swimming Emperor Nam Hae-soo. I’m a shaman sent by the Swimming Federation to retrieve you.”
“……”
It was finally time to prescribe a cure for a patient whose sickness had just been diagnosed.