GIJS

Chapter 54

Save Me

From the moment he heard they were going to Tamna (Jeju Island), Gunja's mood soured.

Wasn't Jeju Island historically one of the most notorious places for exile?

For an official to be sent to Jeju meant that his career would be effectively cut off for a while.

So, when he heard that his parents had been to Jeju, he was quite surprised.

How could his seemingly kind parents have been exiled to Jeju? What could they have done wrong?

Fortunately, he learned through their explanation that Jeju is now a tourist destination, not an exile place anymore...

However, the problem still remained.

They were going by plane, not by ship?

He had to sit inside a large metal bird and fly through the sky for an hour?

No matter how much the world has changed, using such an unconventional mode of transportation was terrifying for Gunja.

As soon as he sat in the airplane seat, his stomach started to churn.

Was this huge metal bird really going to fly in the sky? By what kind of power? What if he collided with an eagle?

The anxiety made his stomach ache.

"Ladies and gentlemen, hello. Our OO Airlines sincerely welcomes you on board..."

Soon, the flight attendant began reading the safety instructions at the end of the aisle.

"In case of sudden turbulence, always fasten your seatbelt..."

While everyone else sat calmly, Gunja pulled out paper and a pen and began furiously taking notes on the safety instructions.

He needed to be prepared to survive. Flying inside a large metal bird was no ordinary thing.

He had to come back alive. Regardless of anything else, he couldn't commit the unfilial act of dying before his parents.

Gunja was filled with anxiety and fear. Luckily, he had called Hyeon-jae the night before to learn how to handle flying.

"Hyeon-jae, actually, I've never been on a plane before..."

– Oh, really?

"...Honestly, it's terrifying..."

– Hahaha, what's so scary!

"Is there anything I should know in advance..."

– Hyung, you did well to call. Did someone mention you need to take off your shoes or something?

"Eh?"

– I knew it. Kwon Tae-woong said that, right?

"Oh, that's right! How did you know..."

– That's how he is. Don't believe that. Why take off your shoes?

"Thinking about it, you're right."

– Anyway, it's wrong.

"Hyeon-jae, thank you!"

– But hyung, you know you have to do the cheek touches red, right?

"Hm? Why?"

– We're going to a paradise above the clouds. What's a paradise?

"A paradise is... a peach orchard."

– So it's polite to act like a peach too. It's an area that people shouldn't invade.

"Oh, I see."

– And people flying for the first time must wear a hat that says 'Save Me'.

"Why's that?"

– Think about it! If something happens, people who have flown multiple times can handle it, but you don't know anything!

"Right..."

– So you need to send a signal asking for help first.

"...That makes sense!"

Without Hyeon-jae, he wouldn't have prepared the red cheek touches or the 'Save Me' hat.

Gunja was relieved to have a kind friend nearby.

The plane took off, and the deafening ear pressure began.

"Ugh, my ears, my ears...!"

He worried he might lose his hearing, but it was short-lived.

The plane, climbing to altitude, began to fly above the clouds.

"Wow—."

Outside the window, the clouds really did spread like a tapestry.

Seeing the world above the clouds that he had only imagined was incredible!

He wanted to keep looking out the window, but even ten seconds made him dizzy. Whenever the plane encountered turbulence, his heart danced along.

"...Ugh..."

Whenever he felt anxious, he pressed the 'Save Me' hat tighter. He worried it might fall off because his head was so small.

"...Paradise above the clouds is truly beautiful and frightening..."

Throughout the flight, Gunja couldn't hide his anxiety.

"Phew—."

"What if we need to help?"

"He said 'Save me', you should go."

"Oh, what if I laugh..."

Among the flight attendants, the one who managed to control their laughter approached Gunja cautiously to check on him.

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"If you're feeling uneasy about the flight, would you like a cushion?"

"Y-yes, please."

Gunja felt a bit more at ease once he held the cushion tightly.

"Ah—."

"Are you feeling a bit better now?"

"Much more comfortable. Thank you so much, Miss."

"Miss...?"

The flight attendant's eyes widened at the term "Miss," but Gunja smiled widely with his peach-like flushed cheeks.

"Since you're doing good deeds in the sky, what else could you be but a fairy?"

"Ah, hehe, that... well..."

"Please continue to help many people."

"Yes, yes, thank you."

After the flight attendant blushed and left.

Ji hyunsu, sitting next to him, pinched Gunja's thigh hard.

"Ouch—!"

"Yu Gunja."

"It hurts!"

"That's not a good look."

"Why?"

"Don't go around looking like that with that crazy visual."

"What do you mean..."

"Don't you want to make your fans sad?"

"Of course not! I'll do anything for my fans."

"Then from now on, be cold and formal with women."

"...That..."

"Only be kind to fans. Got it?"

Gunja nodded as if he understood Hyun-soo's reprimand.

"Okay, got it."

"Good, now you look nice again."

After about an hour and a half of flying.

The plane finally landed at Jeju Airport with the survivors on board.

Chee—.

The first sight of Tamna (Jeju) was utterly unfamiliar.

Gunja had vaguely imagined Tamna as a place with black lava cliffs and tumultuous waves.

But the Tamna he saw was an exotic tourist destination.

Trees with unusually shaped leaves stood here and there, and people in hanboks adorned with fruit patterns walked around.

Seeing this, Gunja realized that his parents' words were true.

Tamna was no longer an exile destination.

"Jeju Island—!!"

"The weather is amazing—!!"

As soon as they arrived at the airport, the fifteen survivors took a charter bus to the hotel.

After unpacking and resting a bit at the accommodations prepared by the production team.

They were scheduled to visit the amusement park 'Tamna Land,' located 30 minutes away, in the afternoon.

The members of 'Team Yu Gunja,' gathered in one room, seemed already excited.

"Wow, it's been since my first year of high school since I last went to an amusement park."

"...For me, maybe in 2 years..."

"Yu-chan, do you like amusement rides?"

"...Yeah, I like scary stuff..."

"Really? That's unexpected."

"This guy is a bit unpredictable. He even came up with some shady ideas during the third round of competition."

"Ah, right. That's right, Gunja took it off."

"...W, well, that's..."

"Hahaha, I almost took it off myself."

"I'm curious about Gunja, too. Gunja, do you go on amusement rides?"

At Taewong's question, Gunja grinned and nodded.

"There's nothing I can't ride."

"Oh, confidence much?"

In fact, since completing his first flight, Gunja was brimming with confidence. He had just flown through the sky in a metal bird and arrived in Tamna. After surviving that perilous journey, an amusement ride seemed trivial.

"Phew, I can do anything now."

"Great! Then let's take some pictures! It'll be fun!"

However, upon arriving at Tamna Land with his confident expression, Gunja saw the amusement rides.

"...Is this an amusement ride...?"

"Yes! How do you like it!? Isn't it going to be thrilling!?"

Seeing the twisting tracks high in the sky, Gunja immediately felt something was wrong.

"...Still, this should be slower than the plane, right?"

"Of course. That's nothing."

"Really?"

"Yeah. A plane is probably six times faster."

Gunja, who had calmed down a bit thanks to Taewong's words, thought that even though it looked scary, it couldn't be that bad compared to the plane.

"Sa, sa, save me——!!"

"Hahaha, this is awesome—!!"

"Gaaaaah——···."

The first roller coaster experience was quite bitter for Gunja. After the hellish ride, he sat crouched under a tree, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Didn't you say it was an amusement ride...?"

"Haha, you were so confident!"

"Where is the amusement in this...?"

"Well, let's ride that one over there! That one's less scary!"

"Uh, okay?"

But in Gunja's eyes, there was no such thing as a non-scary ride.

"Ugh, Yuchan—! I feel like I'm going to wet myself—!!"

He screamed on the Viking ride.

"Too, too high! So high... Gwaaaaaah——···."

He screamed on the Giant Drop.

"It looks like the horses are staring at me! Scary! I want living horses—!"

He was scared on the carousel.

"Look inside that tube! It's so messy! It looks like dirty-minded people are riding!"

He shouted on the Ferris wheel.

Meanwhile, Taewong, Yuchan, and Hyun-su were happily leading 'Team Gunja' around Tamna Land, enjoying themselves.

"Hehe, hyungs! Let's ride the roller coaster again!"

"The first one wasn't enough!?"

"Yes! That was the most fun!"

"...Euh, Inhyuk hyung..."

The only person Gunja could rely on was Inhyuk.

[Curse: Unnecessary Worries] [Currently worried about being found out that he can't handle scary rides]
Gunja could see Inhyuk's status window. Although he had been quietly riding the rides, Inhyuk was in the same situation as Gunja.

Yes, if I stay with these crazy people, I'm the only one who looks strange.

But if I'm with the fellow coward Inhyuk, maybe it won't be so lonely!

...Or so Gunja thought.

"191 cm, not allowed to board."

"—!?"

Inhyuk, who was a giant, could avoid the height restriction by simply standing on tiptoe.

"Hy, hyung!"

"...Gunja."

"Are you serious—!?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Y, you traitor—···."

Eventually, Gunja had to endure various rides until the other members were exhausted.

After a long time of enjoying the amusement park.

'Team Gunja' members were sitting in the amusement park cafeteria, drinking refreshments and resting.

"Hahaha, this is so much fun."

"Yeah. It's been a long time since I've let go and had fun like this."

"...Uuuhhh..."

"Seonbi hyung, are you okay?"

"Inhyuk hyung, you're too much..."

"Haha, hyung! He's really upset."

Taewong, who had been drinking a slushie, put his cup down and spoke.

"By the way, is it okay for us to play around like this?"

"Why? We came here to have fun."

"Yeah, but don't you think something might happen?"

"Huh?"

"This is Music Planet. It's Producer Kim."

At Taewong's words, the expressions of the other members turned dark.

"Haha, he's saying ominous things."

"Yeah. Why say that? Just cancel it."

"Is that so? Okay, cancel, cancel..."

But before Taewong's words were even finished, everyone's smartphones buzzed simultaneously with incoming messages.

[[Idol Training Simulation> Survivors, hello! How are you enjoying your long-awaited vacation?]]

"...Hey, Kwon Taewong..."

"Haha, my words came true?"

Taewoong scratched his head with an awkward expression as messages continued to come in.