TDIMEH Chapter 08

 

8. Six Days Before Moving to the Deserted Island

H-Hinting at what exactly?

‘Did he figure out my identity?’

Se-ah's heart pounded wildly, like an oil well pump extracting crude oil from the depths of the sea all at once.

Despite the muggy weather, her mouth felt as dry as if she were stranded alone in a drought.

Through her trembling long lashes, she could feel the intense gaze of Junhyuk locked directly on her.

Even up close, his skin was flawlessly smooth, without a single pore, and his face, as if touched by the breath of a god, was as immaculate as an angel's. But to Se-ah at that moment, he seemed more terrifying than a devil with multiple horns.

Her gaze rolled away and landed on the golf club she had propped up by the door earlier when she had opened it for Moon Sohee. It wasn’t too far from her reach.

‘Should I give Do Junhyuk's head a light tap with that? Maybe he'd lose his memory and forget about me. If it fails, I can just hit my own head, pretend to be crazy, and pass out.’

As Se-ah was seriously contemplating this plan, Junhyuk continued speaking.

"Do you have any sisters in Korea? Or maybe a cousin?"

"H-Huh? No, I don't. Why do you ask?"

"I know someone who looks like you. Large, round eyes with double eyelids, long, thick lashes like yours, and light brown irises. Plus, her forehead is slightly rounded, and her skin is as white as a rabbit's."

The way he described her was unnecessarily detailed, like a hunter recounting the prey that slipped away.

The fact that he, someone she had only seen a few times, could describe her so precisely made Se-ah's skin crawl, like a hunted animal.

"T-There are plenty of people like that. If you look around Seoul, you'd fill Gwanghwamun Square with them."

Although he hadn't directly mentioned her name, she was convinced that he was describing her. If that wasn't the case, he wouldn't be staring at her so intently.

That's why she deliberately emphasized how common her appearance was.

But it didn’t work on him.

"Not at all. They're not that common. In my life, I’ve only seen two people who look like that — you and the person I used to know."

"Congratulations. You've already found two. I'm sure you'll find more from now on."

She awkwardly let out a forced laugh, trying to back away, but he pulled her closer again.

His large hands wrapped around her waist, with room to spare.

‘Has Do Junhyuk ever been this close to me before?’

Their bodies were so close that they were practically touching. His large frame felt like an enormous mountain blocking her way, leaving no room for escape.

"Are you congratulating me without even knowing who that person is among the two I mentioned?"

Smirk.

The corner of his lips lifted, carrying a playfulness that was unlike him. The slight crease at the ends of his eyes completely changed his atmosphere.

For a brief moment, a trace of humanity peeked out from his usually impenetrable demeanor.

Se-ah, momentarily entranced by Junhyuk's unfamiliar smile, forgot to wriggle free. She unconsciously opened her lips, as if hypnotized.

"W-Who... is that person?"

"That’s..."

Junhyuk's hand, which had been gripping her waist, slowly moved up to her shoulder.

His fingers brushed past her slender, pale neck, grazing the mask strap hanging on her ear.

Completely unaware of his subtle moves, Se-ah waited for his next words as if spellbound.

Then, suddenly, Jisang's hand waved in front of her face like a flash of pale light.

Startled, as if she had been abruptly awakened from a hypnotic state, Se-ah pushed Junhyuk away.

His fingers, which had failed to pull down her mask, retreated quietly back to their owner.

"What are you two doing right now? Did you forget I was standing here?"

Jisang squeezed himself between them, pursing his lips in discontent.

"I’m the one who opened the door, so why are the two of you acting like that?"

"Looks like I forgot too, huh? But did you have something to say to one of my employees?"

Halfway down the stairs, the boss glanced over with wide eyes. Moon Sohee also shot a sharp, irritated look in their direction.

Perhaps aware of those gazes, the arm that had been holding Se-ah like a snare slowly released her.

"No, it seems I mistook her for someone I know."

Since there were people around, Junhyuk obediently pulled back.

Although his body had retreated, his gaze remained fixed on Se-ah's face, scanning it carefully.

It was as if he could see right through her mask.

Just before turning away, Junhyuk leaned in close enough for only Se-ah to hear his low whisper.

"Even if not now, there will be time to figure it out."

***

That night, perhaps due to Junhyuk's persistent gaze earlier, Se-ah dreamt she was a rabbit being chased by a hunter.

The face of the hunter holding the trap was none other than Do Junhyuk.

She frantically kicked her hind legs, running as hard as she could, but in the end, he caught her by the nape of her neck.

Before he could swallow her whole, she woke up in a panic.

After two nights of restless sleep, dark circles hung like shadows under her eyes.

After a quick face wash, she went to the fridge. Ever since those people had visited, her appetite had vanished.

Still, she pulled out some of the food she'd put away in the fridge and reheated it. She wasn't hungry, but throwing it away would have felt wasteful, so she stuffed it into her mouth.

Even after being reheated, the sticky grease clung stubbornly to the roof of her mouth.

"Why does this taste so bad?"

She grumbled, but her chopsticks didn’t stop moving.

The Jin Se-ah of the past, who would only eat a few bites of even the most delicious dishes, seemed to have vanished.

Eating skewers first thing in the morning, Se-ah looked as pitiful as a drenched mouse.

Is this divine punishment for all the things I threw away back then?

Or is it because I acted so arrogantly and full of pride that I’ve now been pushed to rock bottom?

But if that were the case, Junhyuk, who seemed a thousand times more dignified than her, would have fallen too. Instead, he was still standing in the same position — no, even better off than before.

Her business had failed, but she could see from online news that GK Group was flourishing.

It wasn't like she felt envious, but it did leave a slight bitter taste in her mouth.

This was also one of the reasons why she didn't want to reveal her identity to him.

Yet, with the nagging feeling that she would keep running into him from now on, she wondered if it might be better to come clean before he figured it out on his own.

Leaving before it came to that seemed like the best option.

Se-ah picked up her phone after it had finished charging.

"It's me, boss."

— Who is this? Prove that you're who I think you are.

Her boss’s tone was sullen, as if exacting petty revenge for what happened the day before.

"Stop joking around."

— I’m not joking. Who was it yesterday that left me hanging at the door even with everyone else watching?

"I told you, I couldn’t open the door because of those people."

She swallowed the small excuse back down her throat.

"There were unavoidable circumstances yesterday."

— Unavoidable circumstances, huh? Were you acquainted with President Do Junhyuk? Don’t tell me the husband in that photo of yours was him. They look awfully similar.

"Absolutely not!"

— Really?

The doubt in his voice was clear, even through the phone.

"And who said they look alike? My husband is much more handsome!"

— True. If it was really your husband, he would’ve recognized you.

"Exactly!"

— Anyway, what’s the reason for calling so early in the morning?

"I wanted to ask if I could take a week off starting today."

— All of a sudden?

"I told you before, didn’t I? That I was looking for someone. I have a rough idea of where that person is, so I’m planning to go find them."

— Where is it? If you’re taking a whole week off, it must be far away.

"Mindanao."

— That place is dangerous, you know? Especially for a woman traveling alone.

When even the boss echoed the same concerns, the shadow over Se-ah's face grew darker.

She recalled news articles about women who had vanished without a trace while traveling alone.

— But if it’s something you really have to do, then you have to do it. You’ve been searching every break you get, after all.

Although Se-ah was scared, she felt that she would have lingering regrets if she didn’t go that far.

Even if she couldn’t reach Zamboanga, she could still meet with the Korean community in Davao, the capital city of Mindanao, and get some information.

She could only hope to find a trace of the person she was looking for.

"Is it okay if I leave, then?"

— But at least work today and tomorrow. We’ve got a packed schedule, and there’s no one to cover for you. Today and tomorrow are especially busy with cruise reservations completely full, so we really need you here.

Although she felt impatient, she couldn’t flatly refuse after hearing that.

Se-ah decided to book a ferry for Wednesday and ended the call.

‘There’s no way something will come up again, right?’

***

The entire Manila Bay was dyed crimson, as if someone had spilled a bucket of red paint from the sky.

Se-ah, who had just seen off the 6:00 PM group of passengers, sat down on a nearby bench to catch her breath.

The cruise, which had a capacity of 35 people, was completely packed with a large party that had spent the past hour and a half eating, drinking, and chatting nonstop.

‘It felt like 300 people, not 30, had come through here.’

Because it was an alumni gathering, it was especially noisy and chaotic, leaving Se-ah utterly drained.

Normally, she played the role of a manager, helping with boarding and supporting passengers who needed assistance in Korean. But this time, she had to assist the servers directly since many passengers were drunk.

Some drunken troublemakers had tried to touch the younger waitstaff, and every time that happened, Se-ah would step in and scold them harshly.

She had talked so much that her throat felt raw.

After drinking a cold glass of iced water to soothe it, she glanced at the clock. It was already time for the 8:00 PM group to arrive.

The 8:00 PM group consisted of a mix of golfers and businesspeople traveling together.

Unlike single-party groups, mixed groups like this tended to be quieter since they were mindful of each other, which gave her some relief.

Brushing off her pants, Se-ah got up from the bench. She applied some lip balm to her dry lips and headed toward the dock where the boat was moored.

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