18. The Shipwreck
“[Everyone, wear your life jackets and come out to the deck. The ship is about to sink. We must board the lifeboats!]”
It seemed they had decided to abandon the ship. Kevin, holding a megaphone, shouted toward the cabin. Even though he seemed to have maximized the volume, it was uncertain if the message could be heard properly as rainwater seeped into the speakers.
Responding to Kevin’s instructions, Leo rolled out of the cabin and untied the ropes securing the lifeboats, launching them to float beside the ship.
Two boats, each capable of holding five people, were deployed on both sides.
Fearing that the cook Ren and Rosie might still be deep inside the cabin, they quickly dashed out and, with Leo's help, boarded the boat. Boss Nam and Jo Jisang also crawled out of the cabin, boarding the boat on the opposite side. Se-ah and Junhyuk moved cautiously toward the front of the ship and boarded the same boat as them.
Once the passengers were organized, Kevin, who had been guarding the steering room, boarded the opposite boat with Leo.
“[Cut the ropes and row away from the ship as far as possible. Follow our boat!]”
Following Kevin's instructions, the other boat quickly drifted away.
Just as Junhyuk was about to cut the last rope securing their boat, Se-ah urgently grabbed his arm.
“Wait! We’re missing someone.”
“Right, Moon Sohee! Where is she? Hey, Moon Sohee!”
Looking panicked, Jisang urgently called out for Sohee.
“She might not have heard. The cabin is deeper inside. I only barely heard it myself because I stuck my head out. She’s probably still in the cabin. But right now…”
Boss Nam glanced nervously toward the cabin.
They knew she was back there, but the violent rocking of the ship made it difficult to move. The urgency to escape the sinking ship only added to the difficulty of rescuing her.
Even Jisang, who seemed close to Moon Sohee, looked restless but didn’t appear to have the courage to leave the boat. Junhyuk was already holding the oars, so he couldn’t move either.
Haaa...
Taking a deep breath, Se-ah sprang toward the cabin before Junhyuk could stop her.
“Jin Se-ah!”
Junhyuk's angry shout echoed, piercing her ears, but Se-ah didn’t look back. She couldn’t abandon someone who was still alive.
Even if Moon Sohee had never been kind to her or even if she disliked her, that wasn’t enough reason to leave her behind on a sinking ship.
Se-ah remembered that she, too, would have been swept away by the waves if it hadn’t been for Junhyuk just moments earlier. Perhaps that was why she felt compelled to help others now.
At that moment, she didn’t think too deeply. Her body moved instinctively.
Splatter.
The rain poured down like a hole had opened in the sky, soaking the ship’s surface. The deck became more slippery than an icy road, causing her to lose balance and tumble several times.
“Ow!”
Her knee slammed into a box that had suddenly jutted out, sending a sharp pain through her leg.
With the downpour obscuring her vision, she kept bumping into various objects scattered around the deck. Her legs were covered in bruises that would surely turn purple by tomorrow.
The ship was already leaning considerably, making it difficult to walk toward the cabin. Ropes used to secure the sails were tangled everywhere, but she grabbed hold of them, inching her way forward until she finally reached the cabin door.
Bang!
Before she could fully open the door, a metal trolley rolled out from inside, crashing into the door frame beside where Se-ah was standing. If she had opened the door just a second earlier, she would have been struck by the trolley, which could have broken several bones. Her face went pale.
After checking carefully to ensure nothing else would roll her way, Se-ah cautiously crossed the tilted hallway and knocked on Moon Sohee's cabin door.
"Ms. Moon Sohee, please come out quickly! The ship is about to sink. Ms. Moon Sohee!"
Bang, bang. She knocked hard, but there was no response from inside.
"I'm coming in for a moment."
Fortunately, the door wasn't locked. As she turned the handle with a click, the room's interior was revealed. It was a chaotic mess with furniture and luggage jumbled together.
Clothes and cosmetics had spilled out of a half-open suitcase, creating a scene more disorganized than a battlefield.
Surveying the mess, Se-ah noticed strands of long hair sticking out from under the bed.
She rolled forward and, as expected, found Moon Sohee curled up under the bed.
Moon Sohee, who was covering her ears with both hands, was visibly terrified.
"Ms. Moon Sohee?"
"........."
"Ms. Moon Sohee! Are you okay?"
"Co... CoCo?"
Moon Sohee, who hadn't responded to her earlier calls, finally reacted after Se-ah pushed the bed aside and pulled at her arm. Her unfocused gaze slowly came back to life.
"Yes, it's me, CoCo. Why are you hiding here like this?"
"I... I was scared because the ship was rocking so much. It happened to me once when I was a child, and I almost died."
Still trembling, Moon Sohee sniffled, unable to calm herself down.
"You need to pull yourself together and get out of here. The ship is sinking as we speak."
"What? What do you mean, sinking?"
"I'll explain later, but we have to get out of here now. We need to board the lifeboat. First, put this on."
Meeting Moon Sohee's wide-eyed gaze, Se-ah picked up a life jacket that had fallen on the floor, tore open the plastic, and handed it to her.
It was a lifesaver—both literally and figuratively—that Kevin, ever mindful of safety, had placed extra life jackets in each cabin. If they had to search for life jackets at this moment, they would have sunk along with the ship.
"I... I can’t put it on. Why are my hands like this?"
"I'll do it for you."
Se-ah gritted her teeth as she zipped up the life jacket and firmly fastened the buckles for Moon Sohee, whose hands were trembling too much to do it herself.
"Follow me closely."
"Okay... but what about the others?"
Stumbling along the hallway, Moon Sohee glanced nervously at the other cabin doors.
"Everyone followed the announcement, got out, and boarded the lifeboats. You’re the last one, Ms. Moon Sohee."
"So... you came all the way here to save me, CoCo? While everyone else is already on the boat?"
"Yes, that's right."
Hearing Se-ah's answer, Moon Sohee's face briefly darkened.
"You're a kind person, CoCo. No wonder Junhyuk—"
"Sorry, what did you say?"
Se-ah, who was busy moving a box that had somehow rolled into the entrance, turned around and asked, unable to catch Moon Sohee's last words.
Seeing Se-ah’s determined face, Moon Sohee shook her head.
"…No, never mind."
With great effort, Se-ah pressed her body against the exit door, which was resisting the strong headwind. She managed to create an opening and pushed Moon Sohee out first.
By this point, the rain and mist had intensified, making it nearly impossible to see ahead.
"Go straight to the right."
Hesitant at first, Moon Sohee eventually found her direction and began moving. Watching her go, Se-ah turned her own body to exit the doorway. Just as she took her first step—
Screeeeech!
The ship's frame twisted with a loud, grating sound as the whole vessel tilted sharply. Se-ah grabbed a nearby rope, using it to brace herself and avoid being thrown off balance.
"Help! Please, help me!"
Along with the sound of someone slipping, Moon Sohee’s desperate scream echoed from a distance.
“Grab this!”
It was Jisang's voice. He must have thrown something to Moon Sohee to help her because her scream abruptly stopped after that.
Se-ah knew that if she stayed here any longer, it would put everyone else at risk, so she shouted urgently.
"I’m coming now! Get ready to cut the rope!"
"Jin Se-ah! Where are you?!"
Do Junhyuk’s voice responded immediately.
Even though she had only spoken to him a few times, this was the first time she’d ever heard him sound this furious.
"I’m coming to you, so don’t move. Wait right there!"
"Where are you trying to go? You can’t come here!"
"Y-yeah, Junhyuk. She’s coming this way, so just stay put!"
It seemed like two people were desperately trying to stop Junhyuk from abandoning the boat to come after her.
"Mr. Do Junhyuk, I’m almost there, so don’t come over here! Stay on the boat!"
No matter how she looked at it, Junhyuk was the only one among them who could row the boat. If he left the boat to come after her, everyone would be stranded.
Se-ah squeezed her eyes shut and muttered a silent prayer, almost like a chant.
'You can do this, Jin Se-ah. You’re not going to die here like some vengeful spirit!'
Taking a deep breath, Se-ah released the rope she had been clinging to and sprinted toward the boat. Her three years of experience working aboard ships helped her maintain balance on the slippery surface.
Though she slipped once, she managed to keep her eyes locked on the boat's direction, refusing to lose sight of it.
Soon, through the mist, she spotted the back of Moon Sohee. Moon Sohee was just about to climb onto the boat.
Just a few more steps, and Se-ah could join them.
CRACK!
Before she could even feel relieved, a terrifying sound erupted from behind her.
Her instincts kicked in, and she turned around to see the ship's hull splitting apart. Despite the misty air, she could clearly see the fracture widening. Black waves surged in through the opening.
No! No, no, no!
Panic surged far beyond her threshold of fear. Her knees buckled momentarily, but Se-ah forced strength back into her legs. With sheer willpower, she kept moving forward, desperately reaching out her arm toward Moon Sohee, who was now on the boat.
"Ms. Moon Sohee!"
At the sound of her frantic call, Moon Sohee turned her head. Her face was pale with fear, her terror visible in her expression.
"Please, grab my hand!"
They were close enough that their fingertips could almost touch. If Moon Sohee reached out just a bit more, she could have grabbed Se-ah's hand. Se-ah knew she wouldn’t be able to climb onto the rocking boat alone.
The rushing black waves surged rapidly toward them.
Their fingertips brushed past each other.
Just one more time.
Balancing on unsteady legs, Se-ah stretched out her arm one last time, pouring every ounce of her desperation into it.
‘I’m sorry.’
Without making a sound, Moon Sohee mouthed those words, her lips forming a small, silent smile.
Then, she deliberately pulled her hand away, curling her fingers as if to avoid Se-ah’s grasp. It was a deliberate rejection.
At that moment, the lifeboat's tether snapped, and the boat drifted away, leaving Se-ah alone on the ship.
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