15. What Kind of Relationship Do We Have?
The day of departure with Do Junhyuk had finally arrived. The weather was so pleasant that even the ships floating far in the distance could be seen clearly from the harbor, as the view was wide and unobstructed. The clear sky and gentle breeze made it hard to believe that the rainy season was approaching.
The smooth hull of the white cruise ship, which had nearly completed its boarding preparations, glowed like a shower of sparkling sugar as it reflected the sunlight.
“[I'll check the sails one last time, so everyone be careful.]”
The captain, Kevin, leaned his head out of the wheelhouse window and shouted across the deck. The crew, including Se-ah, who were busy moving cargo, hurriedly moved about, making sure their feet didn’t get caught on the loops of rope scattered across the deck.
Soon, Leo climbed up to the highest point of the mast. His forearm muscles bulged as if they were about to burst, as he pulled the rope with all his strength.
“[Heave-ho!]”
With Leo’s spirited shout, the elegant triangular sail slowly revealed its shape. Although it had no particular function on a ship powered by the latest engine, it served as the perfect ornamental item.
After a certain drama aired with the line, 'With just a white sail and the open sea, you can go anywhere,' white sails became an essential feature in people’s romanticized visions of cruising.
As soon as the spotless white sail fully unfurled, it billowed out into a round shape, filled with the breeze blowing from the harbor. Reflected in the dark blue sea, it looked like a massive cloud floating on the water.
Even though Se-ah knew how beautiful the fully unfurled sail looked, it held no appeal for someone like her, who valued practicality. So, she walked past it without a second thought.
The sun, hanging from the tip of the protruding mast, heated the crown of her small head, but she didn’t have time to shield herself with a hat. There was too much work to do on deck.
“[Coco, have you finished checking the cargo? How many boxes of water did we load?]”
“[All checked. We’ve got 20 boxes of water, so we won’t run out. We can refill it along the way.]”
“[Coco, I think we forgot to load the liquid soap.]”
“[Alright, I’ll check on that.]”
“[Coco, can you help me move this?]”
“[Just a moment. Let me finish this first, then I’ll help.]”
Se-ah hurriedly responded to the people calling her from all directions, wiping away the sweat that trickled down her neck with the end of her sleeve.
The playful concern of 'Surely they won't work me like a slave, right?' had now become her reality.
Despite being told that it was just a light exploration with a small crew, apart from Junhyuk’s party, the only people on board were Boss Nam, Captain Kevin, navigator and assistant Leo, chef Ren, and cleaner Rosie. As a result, all the miscellaneous tasks ended up falling on Se-ah alone.
Since the schedule had been decided only two days earlier, everyone was busy handling their own duties, so they naturally began asking Se-ah for help, as she was the only one without a defined role.
Because of this, she was already so busy that it felt like having ten bodies wouldn’t be enough, and that was before Junhyuk's party had even arrived.
She knew they were going somewhere on a ship for business, but it was only yesterday that she found out the purpose was actually a cruise trip.
The ominous feeling that she was in for a rough journey almost made her consider getting off the ship and leaving alone. However, since they would only be together for about three out of the five days of the trip, she decided to endure it. She assumed that it was only hectic because it was right before departure and hoped things would be more relaxed once the ship set sail.
Yeah, once the cargo is sorted, things might settle down.
With that positive thought, Se-ah wandered around looking for the missing liquid soap. She eventually found a box that had fallen into a corner near the dock entrance.
It must have been dropped while moving the cargo earlier, but fortunately, when she opened it, there were no broken containers inside.
Because the box was quite heavy due to the liquid contents, she had to hold it with both hands as she carried it back to the ship. While walking, her foot suddenly slipped on a plastic bag lying on the steps connected to the docking area.
“Ah!”
She should have grabbed the handrail immediately, but the moment of hesitation to avoid dropping the box proved to be her downfall. Her balance was lost in an instant, and her foot, wearing simple sneakers, stepped into empty space instead of the step.
Although it wasn't a very tall set of stairs, she instinctively clenched her eyes shut, thinking she might twist her ankle.
At that moment, a strong arm shot out and moved her to the side like she was a lightweight package.
“Be careful.”
The low warning was whispered right next to her ear by Junhyuk, who had suddenly appeared like a ghost where no one had been moments earlier.
Even though it only lasted a second, it felt as if his breath reached every tiny hair inside her ear, making her pupils quiver.
“Th-thank you.”
The heat from his grip on her waist was palpable, as he had held her tightly.
Feeling awkward about the body contact, she tried to wriggle free from his arms, but Junhyuk only pulled her in closer.
“If you don't want to end up in the ocean, stay still.”
She finally realized that the spot they had been moved to was also right next to the guardrail, not exactly a safe place. Glancing down, she saw the dark, churning seawater splashing against the side of the ship just below where she stood.
Instead of worrying about falling down the stairs, she should have been worrying about falling into the water.
While she froze in shock, staring at the black water below, Junhyuk tucked her against his side and began walking back onto the ship.
With his long strides, the scenery around her passed by rapidly, and in just a few steps, they had crossed the deck.
It wasn't until they reached the center of the deck that Se-ah was finally able to place her feet firmly on the ground. Only then did Junhyuk release her.
With triangular, narrowed eyes, she shot a glare at him as she backed away, increasing the distance between them.
“What are you doing, Do Junhyuk?”
“What do you mean?”
“Th-thanks for saving me, but… isn't this a little… inappropriate for us?”
Her lower back, where his hand had been, still felt hot. Though she couldn’t see it, her face was undoubtedly as red as a ripe tomato. Meanwhile, Junhyuk looked perfectly composed, while she was stumbling over her words.
For some reason, this annoyed her pride.
“What’s so inappropriate? I went out of my way to save you.”
“You know that we aren't close enough to be having this kind of physical contact. Let's maintain some distance, just like before.”
With her arms crossed in front of her like a barrier, Se-ah’s cautious tone made Junhyuk snort.
“Physical contact? Don’t get the wrong idea. It wasn’t like that at all.”
“Well, I’m not mistaken.”
It was just uncomfortable, that’s all.
“And from your perspective, what kind of relationship do you think we have?”
Suddenly, Junhyuk leaned his face in close to hers. His long lashes framed his eyes, which had a mix of mischief and defiance in them.
“Th-that is…”
Caught staring at his eyes, which seemed as dark as a night sky concentrated into a single gaze, Se-ah snapped back to her senses and replied,
“We're not really… anything.”
They weren’t friends, family, or even senior and junior. Calling him an 'ex-husband' didn’t exactly define their relationship either.
If she had to label it, it would be 'not even worth calling a relationship.'
And honestly, that was the cleanest way to put it.
Hearing her answer, Junhyuk's face subtly twisted for a fleeting moment.
“Is that so? Alright then. Next time something similar happens, I’ll just grab you by the tip of my fingers. No guarantee I’ll save you, though.”
Standing upright again, Junhyuk’s voice turned cold as he moved back to his original position.
“That… that was a joke, right?”
“No. I’m serious.”
He shot back the reply with a chilly expression before turning on his heel and walking toward the cabin.
Se-ah couldn’t help but shudder as she imagined Junhyuk pinching her like he was picking up something dirty.
Her gaze lingered on him as he walked away. It felt strange to see a broader range of emotions from someone she had always thought of as cold and distant. A short, hollow laugh escaped her lips.
What’s with him, seriously?
"Move. Why are you just standing there looking clueless?"
Startled by the sharp voice coming from directly behind her, Se-ah jumped in place.
She turned around on reflex and saw Moon Sohee, dressed like a drama character in a vibrant one-piece dress and a wide-brimmed hat.
Although her face was partially covered by the hat’s shadow, the piercing gaze beneath it was clearly visible.
Even when they first met, it was obvious that Moon Sohee didn’t have a favorable opinion of her. However, she had never been this openly hostile before.
Something must have upset her, Se-ah thought. And she was willing to bet every last won in her wallet that it had something to do with Do Junhyuk.
"Go ahead, after you."
Se-ah shifted her body slightly to the side, shouting in her mind that she had no interest in her ex-husband whatsoever.
As expected, Moon Sohee walked past her without so much as a thank you, disappearing inside. Watching this, Se-ah twitched her lips in irritation.
That was when she heard a faint, exhausted voice calling from behind her.
"Coco, help me… please."
"Huh? Boss?"
The voice definitely belonged to the boss, but he was hidden behind a large piece of luggage, making it impossible to see his face.
The pink suitcase gave away who it belonged to.
It hadn't seemed that big when they first arrived at the airport, but now it was twice as large. Perhaps the president had gone shopping during the trip.
You could probably pack everything from my house in there, except for the furniture, Se-ah thought as she strained to help carry the heavy suitcase with the president to the floor where the guest cabins were located.
The president mistakenly opened the wrong room, revealing an empty cabin. After realizing his mistake, he turned back, and Se-ah followed.
That’s when she noticed someone leaning against the hallway wall, with a mischievous smile.
It was Jisang.
“Hey, foreign lady. I’m counting on you from now on.”
Yeah… this is definitely going to be a rough trip.
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