Moon's Labyrinths

“Did you dress well?”

Jimin asked the question as she looked all over Shinhae to check her clothes . If she saw a single mote of dust, she picked it off with her hand . If she saw a small crease, she used her hand to press down and eliminate the crease from her clothes . It seemed Shinhae was annoyed by it . She frowned as she tried to move away from Jimin . However, she couldn’t escape Jimin’s grasp . In the end, Shinhae frowned in frustration . She had to remain in place as Jimin worked on her .

“Mmm . I think this is good enough . ”

Jimin took a step away from Shinhae . She looked at Shinhae as if she was appraising a high quality art piece . But it seemed that Shinhae was sulking . Her cheeks were puffed, and she refused to look at Jimin . She looked so cute that Jimin kept smiling .

After the night when the thunderstorm had caused a ruckus, Jimin had continued to visit Sungyoon’s house . Shinhae reminded Jimin of herself when she was young . She couldn’t leave someone like that alone . Of course, Shinhae had also welcomed her visits with open arms . Jimin visited Sungyoon’s house every evening, and she watched her fall asleep . Only after that did she sleep in the living room . She woke Shinhae every morning and sent her off to kindergarten . She went to work only after she did all that . Jimin knew that she had completely taken on the role of the child’s mother . However, she didn’t find such a life to be bad .

However, this would be the last day she would be doing this . Shinhae’s real father would be coming home .

“Shall we go see your father?”

“Yes!”

Shinhae, who had been miffed, let out a big laughter . She responded in a loud voice . She had missed her father, and the word ‘father’ had made her respond at an instinctual level . However, she suddenly gasped as she turned her head away . She remembered that was supposed to be miffed at Jimin . She clearly wanted to show that she was in her ‘angry’ state .

“Then let’s go”

Jimin laughed as she extended her hand . Shinhae discreetly glanced at the hand . She wanted to continue to express her anger, so she didn’t look up at Jimin .

Jimin looked at Shinhae with soft eyes as she led the child out the door .

* * *

Dul-kuhng!

The seat, which he was sitting on, shook a little bit, and vibration traveled up his body . Sungyoon looked out the window .

He saw the blue sky . He saw the blue ocean . He saw the thick foliage . When he looked up, down, and sideways in the bleak city of Armstrong, he could only see the artificial gray color of concrete . Earth was completely different .

‘I’m back . ’

At that moment, Sungyoon felt a bit emotional . He had left the gray moon to return to the blue cradle of humankind . His emotional state was understandable .

However, Sungyoon remained in his feelings only for a brief moment . Earth was like a blue gem, and the sight of it was enough to lift his spirits . However, what he wanted to see the most right now wasn’t the blue earth . He wanted to see his precious daughter .

He exited the spaceship . Unlike the air on the moon, fresh air washed over him . It was completely different in quality . Sungyoon took a deep breath even though he didn’t need to breathe . It was a case where he wanted to feel the sensation of taking a deep breath . Several other people around Sungyoon did the same thing . It seemed most of them were beginner Connectors like Sungyoon . The ones, who were used to this way of life, silently went on their own way .

Sungyoon followed behind them .

After he went through a simple procedure of checking in, he quickly walked forward with his luggage in tow . His steps were getting faster .

He opened the glass door, and he moved towards the waiting room .

Sungyoon was able to find her there . Other people were hugging and laughing with their friends and family, celebrating the reunion . However, these people meant nothing to Sungyoon . At that moment, his eyes didn’t even pick up their presence . He was looking at only one child .

“Dad!”

It seemed Shinhae had also caught sight of Sungyoon . Shinhae screamed out loud as she ran towards Sungyoon . Sungyoon threw his luggage to the floor . Every possession he carried up to the moon was in there alongside the moonstones . He had put his life on the line to gather these moonstones, but at that moment, they were worthless to him .

He lowered himself by getting on one knee . He opened both arms, and a bright smile had already appeared on his face .

“Daaaaaaad!”

Shinhae jumped into Sungyoon’s arms . Her cute little hands clung to Sungyoon’s back . It was as if she was determined to never let go .

“Dad! Dad!”

Shinhae let out a small sob as she called out to him once again . Sungyoon’s eyes had also turned red . He just hugged his child closer to his body .

“Yes, Shinhae . Your dad is here . ”

His throat was constricted, so he was barely able to speak . It felt like forever since he had hugged his daughter . At some point, tears started flowing out of his eyes .

“Dad, you stink . ”

Shinhae’s face was a mess from her tears . She looked up at him . Of course, he stunk, since he hadn’t been able to wash himself properly for the past two weeks . Still, he had done his best to wear his cleanest clothes . Sungyoon’s expression turned a bit bashful .

“Do you want to let go?”

“No!”

As she gave her answer, Shinhae once again moved deeper into Sungyoon’s arms . She kept saying, ‘You are stinky . ’, yet she didn’t move away from him . Sungyoon laughed once more as he hugged her tighter . He could feel the warmth that was unique to a small child . Shinhae wriggled in his arms .

Jimin slowly approached the father and daughter . However, she didn’t immediately make herself known . She stood a distance away as she watched the reunion between the father and daughter . Her eyes were far away .

‘I was like that . ’

On the days when her father would return to earth, her young heart would be nervous as she waited for him in this exact place . During those times, she didn’t want tasty foods or pretty clothes . She paced back and forth, while she waited for her father . Her father would come through the waiting room door just like Sungyoon . She would loudly call out after her father like Shinhae . She would run into his arms, and her father’s large body would catch her .

That day would never come again . Those days were like dreams to her now .

“President . ”

Jimin came to her senses . It seemed the touching reunion between the father and daughter had ended . Sungyoon held Shinhae’s hand tightly as he looked at her . It seemed she had been lost in her own thoughts for a while .

“Unni, are you sick?”

Until a moment ago, Shinhae had been sulking in front of Jimin . She had acted coy and a bit combative . However, she was looking at Jimin with worry on her face now . Jimin let out a bright smile .

“No . I’m fine . ”

Then she turned her gaze towards Sungyoon, and her face instantly turned back to her cold expression . Sungyoon’s smiling face, which he had shown towards Shinhae, was also nowhere to be seen . He looked at her with a blank face .

“Welcome back . ”

“I’m back . ”

In some ways, it looked insincere as the two of them gave a simple greeting .

“How was it? How was the labyrinth?”

“It was hard . ”

He gave a single sentence answer . However, this single sentence held the whirlwind of emotions that he had felt on the moon .

“It is to be expected . Still, you did a good job . Please go home and rest . I’ll hear the specifics at a later time . ”

“Understood . ”

Sungyoon pushed a large bag towards Jimin .

“This is the harvest . ”

The bag contained all the moonstones he had acquired .

“Please hand it over to me a little later . ”

“Understood . ”

Sungyoon took back the luggage .

“Shall we start moving?”

After she spoke those words, Jimin took the lead . Sungyoon still held Shinhae’s hand tightly, and they followed after Jimin . It had been awhile since Shinhae had met her father, so she walked next to him with excitement in each step . She maintained a tight grip as she tried to swing his arm . Then she tried to grab his large and powerful hand with both hands . Unlike his normal self, he laughed as he accepted Shinhae’s playfulness .

“Let’s store your Device and Gems .

When they arrived at a specific counter, Jimin spoke .

Due to government policy, Connectors weren’t allowed to carry their Devices and Gems on earth . Sungyoon did as he was asked . He turned in his Devices and Gems .

“...you have more than before . ”

Jimin looked a bit surprised as she spoke . Sungyoon had turned in more Devices and Gems compared to what she had given him .

“You were able to acquire more in just 2 weeks?”

“That’s a long story . ”

“Alright . I’ll hear the story from you next time . ”

The fact that he was able to increase the number of Devices and Gems wasn’t a bad thing . Jimin moved on without making a fuss . She once again started to move .

The three of them arrived at the parking lot .

This time Jimin had brought an ordinary car . Her favorite car was an imported red sports car that seated only two people, and the three of them wouldn’t be able to ride it . Sungyoon placed his luggage in the trunk, and the trio got into the car .

Jimin drove the car . Sungyoon felt uncomfortable letting the president drive the car, but Jimin didn’t mind . For the past two weeks, he had placed his life on the line to explore the labyrinth . He had gone through much hardship . She couldn’t let someone who had arrived from space to drive . Above all else, Sungyoon didn’t have any car insurance .

Jimin’s car started smoothly . Sungyoon and Shinhae got in the back .

“Ooh! mmm- . ”

Shinhae was glued to Sungyoon, and her eyes were starting to close . It was to be expected . They had to leave the house early, because the spaceport was located in Jeolla-nam-do Province . Shinhae was determined to see her father, so she hadn’t complained at all . Shinhae had gotten up as soon as Jimin woke her up, but she had already reached her limit .

Tap!

Shinhae’s head fell onto Sungyoon’s arm . Shinhae breathed softly as she fell asleep . However, Shinhae’s cute little hands were holding tightly onto Sungyoon’s sleeve .

Sungyoon carefully stroked Shinhae’s hair .

Shinhae turned in her sleep a little bit, but it seemed she liked the gesture . A small smile appeared on her face

“Thank you for bringing Shinhae here . ”

In truth, he had been surprised when he saw Shinhae at the spaceport . He never expected Shinhae to travel so far from her home .

“It’s fine . I’ve become really close to Shinhae while Mr . Sungyoon was gone . ”

“Is that so?”

“Yes . ”

Silence descended once again . Sungyoon and Jimin didn’t feel the need to talk about each other’s affairs . However, Jimin broke the silence soon .

“Why don’t you sleep too? You should be really tired . ”

“I’m not that tired . ”

After awakening as a Connector, he rarely felt tired . This was true even when he was killing monsters in the labyrinth . It was true that he became mentally fatigued, but his body was never tired .

“I see . ”

That was it . Jimin didn’t speak any more on the subject . Silence returned to the car once again . The silence wasn’t broken until they arrived at Sungyoon’s house .