HLSEBT - 72

Chapter 72: Underwater Escape Training (Part 3)

“The program begins.”

An instructor outside the set piece knocked on the wall and announced. Yoon Tae-ha slowly inhaled the last bit of air she could comfortably enjoy before submerging.

Though she had an underwater breathing apparatus, the time she could remain inside was limited. There was no room for hesitation.

“Once you’re inside, follow my instructions to remove the belt and rings. Try exiting through the window if possible, but if it’s too difficult, exit through the sides.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard from the start.”

The instructor with the sun character hat reminded her once more. She nodded.

Creak. The set piece emitted an ominous sound. The smell of disinfectant and the peculiar scent of iron grew stronger.

“Begin!”

At Kim Doo-eon’s powerful voice, the set piece tilted sharply to the right.

Yoon Tae-ha’s body, secured by the safety belt, helplessly slumped sideways. It felt as though a giant had grabbed her hair and flung her to the floor. The sun drawn on her hat spun along with her.

Water rushed in diagonally at high speed.

Before she could blink, the water reached her chest, and she held her breath.

The world’s colors changed in an instant.

Gurgle gurgle.

A strange sound echoed in her ears. The pressure of the water and the distorted sense of direction were terrifying.

The set piece rotated exactly twice as it sank downward. The sensation was nothing like a ride—it stiffened her limbs completely.

She tried not to be distracted by the chaotic spray of water droplets rising like a hurricane. The massive scrap of metal was sinking alongside her.

The rope tied around her waist was originally meant to protect her. But now, it felt like a demon’s hand dragging her into hell.

Following the instructor’s signal, Yoon Tae-ha bit into the breathing apparatus.

He checked her safety with hand signals.

“Is the breathing apparatus functioning properly?”

Using the apparatus, Yoon Tae-ha nodded.

With her breathing stabilized, things improved slightly. Three instructors surrounded the set piece, swimming leisurely like well-fed sharks.

She calmly moved her hands.

At first, her movements were clumsy. But soon, regaining her composure, she turned the handle. After unfastening everything, she rose from her seat and grabbed the nearest window handle.

Seeing her kick the detached window open with gusto, the instructor laughed, creating bubbles in the water.

Bubble bubble.

Ignoring his swaying seaweed-like beard, Yoon Tae-ha escaped through the window.

She wouldn’t fall for the basic tactic of making her fail by inducing laughter.

Gracefully swimming, she reached toward the shimmering surface. The sunlight pouring through the ceiling felt especially mesmerizing today. With the clear weather, the white and blue hues blended chaotically, like paint splashed freely.

If it were free time, she would have loved to gaze endlessly at that sight underwater. Though she felt a pang of regret, she decided to stay focused.

As soon as she emerged from the water, the helmet on her head felt heavier than before.

“Jeong Seong-ha, amazing!”

Hong Eun-soo’s cheers barely reached her muffled ears. The students were shouting something, but she couldn’t make it out due to the chaos.

Holding the breathing apparatus, she slowly swam toward the pool wall. Kim Doo-eon, who had been waiting, extended his hand. When she grasped it, he pulled her up with surprising strength.

“Not bad compared to your partner, huh?”

Her voice muffled by the water, she thanked him. Stepping out of the pool, her body trembled from the cold. Her nose burned, unsurprisingly.

“Let me see you again. G-class and T-class, right? Even though you came last, you’re outstanding talents. A brilliant start.”

Cheon Geon-young also exited the pool. She wanted to help him up as he had done for her, but missed the timing. Approaching her, he spoke softly.

Both were dripping wet like people who had run through a downpour without umbrellas.

“Was it manageable?”

“Harder than I expected.”

“Just getting out of the window on the first try is impressive.”

Cheon Geon-young whispered softly. Concerned she might slip, he gently guided her inward.

“Not panicking is the most important thing. Both of you stayed calm. While I admit having water rush into your nose isn’t pleasant...”

Kim Doo-eon reenacted how the two had moved in common. Despite his flailing, the students didn’t laugh.

Some students looked enviously at the transfer students who had overcome their challenges.

It seemed they wished to trade places with those who had already completed the training.

“The two who succeeded can take some free time!”

Kim Doo-eon had them wait far across the pool.

Wrapped in full-body towels, the two arrived at the opposite side just as the second team entered the set piece.

Yoon Tae-ha found a spot where she could watch the other students’ training clearly. Cheon Geon-young sat beside her.

The sunlight warmed their heads quickly.

Watching a student disappear into the set piece with a scream, Yoon Tae-ha asked,

“When did you start swimming?”

“At six.”

“You started young.”

“I liked water.”

His pale face answered nonchalantly. Sunlight and water droplets clung to his elegant nose.

For a while, both simply breathed, enjoying the warmth of the towel.

No emotions showed on Cheon Geon-young’s face. There was no visible sense of achievement from passing such a challenging test.

Staring at the gently rippling water, he clenched his fist tightly under the towel. He massaged his fingers painfully, as if suffering from a cramp.

Like someone trying to shake off a nightmare, he bowed his head, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.

Then, turning to Yoon Tae-ha, who was steadying her breath with slight excitement, he asked gently,

“Are you okay?”

He covered her back with his large hand. She didn’t resist. Patting her back, her head moved along with the motion.

“I’m fine. Just a little out of breath. But it was fun.”

Her voice was slightly more animated than usual. A hint of excitement lingered on Yoon Tae-ha’s face—a flicker of pride from succeeding in a new challenge on the first try.

Finally letting go of his thigh, which he had been gripping painfully, he stopped tormenting his leg.

“Was opening the window difficult?”

“At first, it didn’t budge, so I thought about breaking it for two seconds... but I held back.”

Their gazes followed as a student surfaced with the instructor’s help.

The instructor, swimming effortlessly backward, held the student securely. Upon closer inspection, it was the same instructor who had swum without an oxygen tank underwater.

Next, an esper with physical enhancement abilities also failed.

Another challenger, confident in surpassing Cheon Geon-young’s record, entered proudly but crawled out on all fours, tears or pool water streaming down their cheeks.

Yoon Tae-ha shrugged and praised her partner.

“The top scorer really is different.”

“You’ve done this before. Experience accounts for more than half.”

“Skill is skill. I panicked for a moment too—I almost ripped the belt with brute force.”

He said this with evident regret.

“I should’ve watched more closely. I couldn’t see from afar.”

“The instructor’s beard floated like seaweed...”

Cheon Geon-young laughed as he wrung out his wet hair with the edge of the towel.

Annoyed by his dripping hair, he pushed it back, revealing his forehead. His profile became sharper and more intellectual.

Glancing at him, Yoon Tae-ha recalled how naturally he had moved underwater.

Light and practiced movements, like someone who had trained dozens or hundreds of times.

Had he learned such things at his previous school? Methods to save lives?

Curiosity swirled in her mind. There was no need to worry about their surroundings—the waiting area for successful teams still only held the two of them. As the fourth team nervously prepared to enter, Yoon Tae-ha asked,

“Did you undergo the exact same training at your school?”

“Our curriculum includes rescue techniques.”

“Fascinating.”

“We move using machines.”

Cheon Geon-young chuckled faintly as he watched Yoon Tae-ha drape the towel over her head like a cloak.

Buried in the large, thick towel, she instinctively flinched every time the set piece submerged.

The woman, who had maintained a composed front until now, suddenly turned her head.

Her slightly parted lips revealed her focus—she always gave her full attention when speaking. She gestured for him to continue.

Splash splash. Loud screams echoed.

Cheon Geon-young cleared his thoughts, focusing on the surrounding sounds.

“If there’s no flying bus, we have to learn things like this.”

“Feels good being a listening bus. But no free flight for you, just so you know.”

Yoon Tae-ha added sternly, then asked,

“Were the training conditions the same?”

“Slightly different. I don’t know about other schools’ standards.”

“How so?”

“It’s a secret.”

Suddenly, Cheon Geon-young erected a wall of secrecy. She widened her eyes in protest.

“A secret? What part is a secret?”

“All our school’s training is classified military information. Didn’t you know?”

“…I’ve seen similar training videos online. Multiple clips exist.”

“No fooling you.”

Teasingly, Yoon Tae-ha lightly jabbed his arm with her elbow. Clearly, even a three-year-old wouldn’t budge from such a gentle nudge.

“They’re extremely sensitive about confidentiality, secrecy, security levels…”

As Cheon Geon-young spoke, he pressed his towel against her cheek to wipe away the dripping water.

She froze stiffly, as if she hadn’t anticipated this at all.

Her soft cheek squished under his touch. Her wide-eyed expression resembled that of a wary animal. She fidgeted with her hands, afraid rejection might upset him.

Where had the girl who held his hand so confidently during teleportation gone?

“What… what are you doing?”

“Water was dripping.”

“I can dry it myself.”

Even seeing her somewhat fluffy cheek, he shook his head.

“You can’t see it. It’s dripping here too.”

“Since we might get wet again anyway, leave it. It’s fine.”

“…”

“You’re not listening anymore.”

From afar, it was hard to tell whether he was drying her or using it as an excuse to touch her face.

With an unusually persistent expression, he meticulously dried her face until it was completely free of moisture.

Yoon Tae-ha, slightly sulking, asked again.

“Now that you’ve dried me thoroughly, answer me. I’m really curious.”

Cheon Geon-young replied, looking much more relaxed than when he had first emerged from the water.

“At first, it’s the same. They give similar protective gear.”

Yoon Tae-ha frowned. “At first, it’s the same.” A loaded statement, wasn’t it?

“…Does something change later?”

“They remove the breathing apparatus and goggles.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“I would’ve definitely failed without those.”

“At first, they give everyone the same gear. Once you succeed, they start removing equipment piece by piece.”

“Everyone probably tries to endure without failing, right?”

He answered firmly.

“No. They want to pass as quickly as possible.”

“Out of obligation? Or is it competitive there too?”

“Aren’t you viewing this too purely?”

Yoon Tae-ha tilted her head curiously. Cheon Geon-young reached for the towel slipping backward due to its weight. Wrapping it around her again, he said,

“It’s fine.”

She murmured softly.

Even through the damp towel between them, wherever his hand touched burned hot. She began to worry her face might be turning red.

Cheon Geon-young was now focusing on the knot.

“The knot’s already undone.”

“It’s ugly either way.”

“Who cares about that around here?”

“…Ridiculous.”

Having successfully robbed her of a chance to respond, Cheon Geon-young wore a satisfied smile.

After wrapping her face snugly in the towel, Yoon Tae-ha muttered, “I’m suffocating.” He jokingly concluded it by saying this was necessary to prevent catching a cold.

Peeking out barely from the cocoon of the towel, Yoon Tae-ha asked curiously,

“So, what do you mean by ‘pure’?”

“If you fail, something worse awaits.”

“Do they impose penalties?”

“They increase the swimming distance in open water.”

Her face immediately contorted. Cheon Geon-young knew her reaction alone was explanation enough. Reflected light from the pool shimmered on her protruding cheek.

Drenched and mostly hidden by the towel, only her features were visible—but she still looked undeniably beautiful.

“Devils… doing such things.”

“After removing the gear, if you still succeed, they bind your ankles with cable ties and switch to an even harder-to-escape set piece.”

“I haven’t done anything like that. Are they trying to raise mermaids?”

“The ultimate goal is somewhat similar.”

Yoon Tae-ha shook her head in disbelief.