31. A Good Person
Junhyuk lit a fire beneath the treehouse to keep insects away and sat near the door.
Se-ah naturally lay down under the window. The moon was unusually bright tonight, making it possible to see each other clearly even without any lights.
Se-ah felt a bit awkward, so she turned her back toward the wall. But just before doing that, she and Junhyuk briefly made eye contact.
Junhyuk lay slanted, with a rolled-up piece of clothing acting as a makeshift pillow, looking in her direction.
Before they entered the house, his face had been calm, but it gradually stiffened. A fine line appeared between his brows.
What’s bothering him?
As she paused momentarily, an unhappy voice leaked through Junhyuk's lips.
“Did you always sleep like this with 'that guy'? Without any blanket, just the two of you this close?”
“Yes, of course. It’s not like there were other houses. Besides, we didn’t see each other as a man and a woman, so there was no discomfort.”
Se-ah replied in an intentionally nonchalant manner, implying he shouldn’t worry about any misplaced feelings on her part.
“So, we’re not in a relationship where we see each other as man and woman?”
“Yes… Absolutely. Once your memory returns, you’ll know, but Junhyuk, we were never like that.”
Considering they were divorced, she thought it fortunate enough they didn’t hate each other. She still couldn’t figure out why Junhyuk had been so kind since their reunion.
Contrary to her expectation that he would be relieved to hear they weren’t romantically inclined, Junhyuk's expression grew even more rigid.
“…So, you’re saying I don’t affect you at all?”
“Yes, of course.”
Junhyuk's gaze narrowed slightly as he observed her.
Of course, she would sometimes glance at him, but she considered it an unavoidable reflex of living creatures with eyes and wasn’t lying.
Even though her heart occasionally raced, she never dared to covet him.
“I see.”
Worried he might catch onto her true feelings, she nodded slightly and turned her back, but she could still feel his piercing gaze on the back of her head.
What’s with him today?
Not that she had a basis for comparison since she didn’t know the old Junhyuk, but he was definitely different from usual.
From behind her, Junhyuk's low voice spoke again.
“What kind of… person was I?”
“Pardon?”
“The me you knew. What kind of person was I?”
“You were a good person.”
Without hesitation, Se-ah replied.
Saying he was a good person didn’t seem enough for someone who would jump into the water for his ex-wife.
Junhyuk's tone softened slightly after hearing her answer.
“I must have been a fool, but it seems I didn’t live in vain.”
“Of course! You worked so hard. What you did was—”
“Enough.”
Se-ah was about to recount his accomplishments from the articles she had read, but stopped when he interrupted her.
“I don’t want to know every trivial detail about the future. I was just curious about what kind of person I was to you. If I was a good person, that’s enough.”
Se-ah thought their conversation was over, but then an odd question reached her ears.
“Then… Who’s better?”
“Pardon?”
“Between the Junhyuk you knew and me now, who’s the better person? Or rather, who do you like more?”
“They’re the same person.”
“No, they’re not. I have no memory of who I was back then. To me, it’s like being a completely different person.”
Se-ah tilted her head at Junhyuk's question.
To her, it didn’t really matter—they were the same either way. Still, she didn’t want to give a careless answer, so she carefully chose her words.
“They’re both good people, but if I had to choose, I’d say the person who’s by my side now seems better.”
“The person by your side?”
“Yes.”
It was a simple response, but she thought it fit the situation well, considering that future Junhyuk could also fit this answer if he were by her side.
“So, it’s me after all. Not that guy.”
Satisfied, Junhyuk mumbled to himself with a faint chuckle.
Why would he ask such a question?
And why is he so pleased with the answer?
Still puzzled, Se-ah blinked and turned her back to Junhyuk before offering a goodnight.
“Goodnight.”
“You too.”
Though she doubted she would fall asleep, Se-ah closed her eyes tightly.
***
Despite it being the rainy season, the sun blazed down for the second consecutive day.
Sunlight reflected off the fine sand on the beach and warmed the air inside their wooden house with its bamboo flooring.
Chirping insects woke Se-ah, who wiped the sweat from her nose and stretched her arms.
Crack. Pop.
Her neck and shoulders made creaking sounds with every movement.
Perhaps it was because she had spent the night lying on her side, facing the wall with her back to Junhyuk, that her body felt sore all over.
Although she was sure Junhyuk didn’t see her as a woman, the fact that he was a spirited twenty-year-old kept her on edge, making it hard for her to sleep.
It was in this state, the most disheveled she had been since arriving on the deserted island, that she rose. Seeing herself in a mirror they had found on the beach confirmed the dark circles under her eyes.
After tidying her messy hair, she stepped outside and saw Junhyuk aiming a bow at a coconut tree.
How had he even managed to craft such a bow and arrows?
The slender branches, perfect as kindling, had been sharpened to serve as arrowheads.
The thirty-three-year-old Junhyuk and the twenty-year-old Junhyeok seamlessly adapted to life on the deserted island.
Her conviction that Junhyuk would survive even if the world ended grew stronger. Her resolve to stick close to him deepened as well.
Since becoming younger, his wardrobe seemed to have changed, too. He had swapped his usual shirts for a sleeveless top and loose pants.
His exposed shoulders and arm muscles flexed and moved with elasticity as he worked.
Even at their first meeting, she noticed his physique wasn’t bulky but rather finely sculpted, as if a deity had painstakingly crafted him over several months.
Se-ah snapped out of her daze by biting her lip.
Junhyuk, now firmly gripping the bow with his left arm, pulled his right shoulder and elbow as far back as he could before releasing the arrow with a quick motion.
Swish.
The sound of the arrow flying, like something you’d hear at the Olympics, accompanied it as it traced an arc through the air and pierced the coconut stem dangling from the tree.
Before long, the coconut fell to the ground with a thud.
“Wow, are you Jumong* by any chance?”
Se-ah exclaimed in awe, her mouth agape. Watching the coconut drop so easily when it usually took so much effort to cut down was unbelievable, even after seeing it with her own eyes.
Running to the base of the tree, Se-ah picked up the coconut and gave him a thumbs-up.
“It’s nothing impressive.”
Uncharacteristically bashful, Junhyuk continued shooting arrows until he had knocked down all the nearby coconuts.
It was fine since they could eat them later, but…
‘How are we going to finish all this?’
Looking at the pile of coconuts that had accumulated beside their house, Se-ah shook her head.
“Come over here.”
After gathering enough coconuts to his satisfaction, Junhyuk sat in the shade and called Se-ah. Hoping it wasn’t another crab hunt, she ran over, only for him to hand her a freshly cut coconut.
“Drink this, then hand it back to me.”
After she drank the coconut water as instructed, Junhyuk scooped out the remaining flesh, crushed it with his hands, and spread it on the back of her hand.
“What’s this?”
Se-ah examined her hand with wide eyes.
Since arriving on the island, her hands had become extremely dry, but they now felt noticeably moisturized.
“It’s coconut milk—a natural moisturizer. I’ll make more for you in the future, so use it on your face and hands regularly. It’s weak, but it offers some sun protection, which is better than nothing.”
“You even know how to make things like this?”
“Of course. Ask me anything.”
“You’re really amazing.”
Her praise seemed to lift his shoulders a few centimeters.
“See? I’m better than that guy, right?”
“Pardon? Who are you referring to?”
“Never mind.”
Turning away abruptly, Junhyuk picked up the bow and quiver he had set on the ground.
Could he possibly be competing with himself?
Se-ah’s curiosity deepened.
After drinking three coconuts—because he insisted she should apply it to her face and neck—Se-ah told Junhyuk she could skip breakfast. Junhyuk also decided to delay their meal until after they returned from the forest, saying he only wanted to check the front area today.
Concerned about the possibility of encountering insects or poisonous plants, Junhyuk handed Se-ah long sleeves and pants to wear.
Meanwhile, he carried only his bow and wore his usual sleeveless top.
Perhaps due to all the archery practice, his shoulders seemed even broader in the short span of time.
“You’re taking the bow with you?”
“Yes. There could be something approaching from a distance. It’s bulky, but nothing beats it for hunting.”
“That makes sense.”
Having reached the point where she would believe anything Junhyuk said, Se-ah quietly followed him into the forest.
Let’s hope there’s plenty of food to find.
đŒ; *Jumong is a legendary Korean archer.
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