35. A Relationship That’s Not a Relationship
As the campfire died down, Junhyuk began tying the smoked meat to ropes for storage, and Se-ah hurried to get ready for bed.
Today had been particularly busy with island exploration and other tasks, so she hoped she wouldn’t toss and turn like the night before and could fall asleep quickly.
She didn’t want to end up with dark circles that sank below her chin, especially since her bare face was already no match for Do Junhyuk’s.
After washing up in a corner, Junhyuk stood idly at the entrance of the treehouse.
The only source of light was the campfire lit beneath the house to ward off insects, but it was as if all the light seemed to shine on him alone.
“What are you doing out here instead of going inside?”
Because he was so tall, Se-ah had to crane her neck just to look up at him.
“What am I doing?”
For a brief moment, as his sharp jawline tilted toward her, she almost forgot how to breathe.
They were on the same deserted island, yet he somehow managed to look so clean and polished. If someone attached a camera to record Do Junhyuk’s life on this island, it would undoubtedly be the number-one OTT streaming hit.
As she found herself staring up at him blankly, he added in his usual monotonous tone:
“I was waiting.”
“For me?”
When Se-ah pointed to herself, Junhyuk immediately nodded.
“Who else is on this island besides you?”
“Why wait? You could’ve gone in first.”
“Because I was worried about you.”
“Worried... about me?”
It was clearly a meaningless phrase, something casually said because it was nighttime, yet hearing the word 'worried' made her heart race as if it were powered by a motor.
“Oh, come on. It’s just a few steps. No one’s going to grab me just because it’s dark.”
Se-ah fanned her flushed cheeks with her hands, repeatedly insisting she was fine. But Junhyuk’s response was entirely unexpected.
“‘Just a few steps’? We still don’t know what lives on this island. From now on, don’t wander off without telling me.”
Se-ah looked up at him as if he’d lost his mind. She wondered if there was something wrong with his head, not just his sudden youthful appearance. Normally, he wasn’t the type to blurt out such things.
It might have been a reckless provocation, but her curiosity couldn’t hold back.
“And what if I do wander off?”
“Then this will happen.”
Before she could react, Junhyuk picked her up and carried her into the treehouse in one swift motion. Her towel, which had been draped around her neck, fluttered to the ground as she was whisked away.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
Once inside, Junhyuk set her down in the center of the house and locked the door. Even after securing it with a wooden latch, he wasn’t satisfied and went so far as to tie it again with a leftover net.
The traps set up around the house, combined with Junhyuk’s newfound caution, made him seem even more guarded.
Perhaps it was because of his memories of being trapped in the jungle? To him, that incident felt as though it had only happened recently.
Although she couldn’t be certain, Se-ah was sure it was related somehow.
Watching Junhyuk meticulously check every corner of the mesh windows, Se-ah felt both exasperated and slightly sorry for him.
At this rate, not even a fly would be able to enter the house without Junhyuk’s permission.
Finally calming her racing heart from when he carried her inside, Se-ah pouted and said:
“This place is safe. Nothing has happened for days. Besides, this is a deserted island where no ships pass by.”
“That’s the kind of carelessness that gets you caught off guard. Enemies can invade your home at any time, from any direction.”
“Has something like that happened to you?”
“Yes. That’s why you always have to be careful.”
Hearing his firm response, Se-ah couldn’t argue any further and kept her mouth shut.
“You wouldn’t know what it’s like to be hunted down.”
Junhyuk muttered quietly, his back turned to her.
It felt strange, as if she were catching a glimpse of an unexpected side of this man who always seemed so confident and self-assured.
The Do Junhyuk she knew seemed like someone who had never experienced hardship, someone with an untroubled personality.
Now, as a twenty-year-old, he still had some similarities to his former self, but there were also moments when he seemed more sensitive and candid.
It was evident that these traits were influenced not by nature but by his experiences, and this realization made her feel a little sorry for him.
Se-ah hesitated, fearing her attempt to console him might come across as clumsy. But then, she carefully approached him and gently patted his shoulder.
“Well… back then, you were alone, but now you have me with you. Doesn’t that make it a little less dangerous? Two are better than one, after all.”
“…......!”
Startled, Junhyuk abruptly turned around without warning, almost causing their faces to collide. He stared at her with an intensity she hadn’t seen before.
The seriousness in his gaze left Se-ah momentarily speechless, forgetting even to react as he said.
“If I were alone, it’d be fine. But now that you’re here, I have to worry more. I can’t let you get hurt.”
Whoosh.
Se-ah felt as though someone had moved the campfire directly beneath her feet.
Otherwise, how could her body feel so hot? His single sentence had made her entire being flush with heat.
What’s wrong with him?
If he had said it jokingly, she might have understood.
But the problem was that he had said it with such a serious expression.
“You… you can’t say things like that so casually.”
Se-ah shook her head vigorously, trying to dismiss both her thoughts and Do Junhyuk at the same time.
“Why not?”
“Because… because saying that could lead to misunderstandings.”
“Why would my concern for you cause misunderstandings?”
“Well, it’s just… saying you care about someone or that you can’t let them get hurt isn’t something you say in a typical relationship.”
Junhyuk listened quietly, then his eyes lit up.
“Then it just means we’re not in a typical relationship. Is that what you want? I had a feeling you kept looking at me.”
“What?”
How had the conversation twisted into this?
Feeling as though she had been blindsided, Se-ah widened her eyes in disbelief and took a step back.
In his dark brown irises, she saw an arrogant expression that seemed to say he had anticipated this all along.
“I’m not someone who gets involved with just anyone, you know. I don’t even have an interest in that. But if being in that kind of relationship is what my subordinate wants, I can make an exception.”
“What?”
“It wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
“That… that would be terrible!”
Se-ah quickly refuted his words, practically leaping in denial.
“What?”
“No, I mean…”
Seeing his eyebrows rise sharply in displeasure, Se-ah began to seriously contemplate whether she should remind him of what their relationship really was.
They weren’t just strangers or acquaintances. They had been married and divorced—a relationship that skipped past both extremes. If he remembered that, perhaps he wouldn’t say such things anymore.
Before she could decide how to answer, he asked first.
“Is there any reason why we can’t have that kind of relationship?”
Of course there was. Many, in fact.
Several reasons immediately came to mind.
But for some reason, Se-ah couldn’t bring herself to voice them to Junhyuk, who was quietly waiting for her response.
Compared to before, she felt much closer to him as a person now, and she didn’t want to ruin this newly bridged gap with unnecessary words.
Moreover, could she really tell a twenty-year-old him that he would become a divorced man in the future?
If it were her, she would faint if someone appeared out of nowhere saying, 'You’ll divorce me in ten-something years.'
It could easily lead him to distrust the future and fall into deep cynicism.
The image of Junhyuk shaving his head and retreating to a mountain came to Se-ah’s mind, and she shook her head.
No, that’s something she shouldn’t say. He’d find out once his memories returned anyway.
In the end, she decided to brush it off with an excuse.
“Well, the Junhyuk I knew wasn’t interested in me at all. You’ll realize it once your memories come back, but we weren’t in that kind of relationship.”
“What if my memories don’t return?”
“Well, even then, a person’s core nature doesn’t change, right?”
She was confident that his lack of interest in her wouldn’t change, even if he went back to the past. However, Junhyuk’s expression darkened further, as if he didn’t agree.
“What if we never leave this island?”
“Then… then we’ll remain lifelong friends.”
“By whose decision?”
“Probably… by the future Do Junhyuk’s decision.”
Se-ah decided to shift the blame onto the future him.
“No. That wouldn’t happen. Even if he didn’t show it outwardly, that guy must’ve had other thoughts too.”
“No way. The Junhyuk I knew was the same inside and out.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
Se-ah cautiously started inching away from him.
“Anyway, I’m really sleepy. You should get some rest too. We have to explore the island again tomorrow.”
As Junhyuk watched Se-ah gather her clothes, which she used as makeshift bedding, he called her softly.
“Jin Se-ah.”
“Yes?”
“What if my feelings change? What if I start to like you?”
Thud.
Her heart sank.
She had never imagined that Do Junhyuk—whether before or after marriage—would develop feelings for her. Her mind spun in circles as if her thoughts were short-circuiting.
If… if that were to happen…
As the thought crossed her mind, a bitter smile formed on her lips.
Perhaps, in the unique environment of the deserted island, he was experiencing unfamiliar emotions. But there was no guarantee those feelings would last once this life was over.
When tomorrow morning came, and he returned to his old self, he might forget he ever said such a thing.
For that reason, she told herself she shouldn’t read into his words or let herself feel anything in response.
At the same time, countless scenarios of how this could lead to awkwardness came to mind.
Biting the inside of her cheek to suppress her emotions, Se-ah replied as calmly as she could.
“That won’t happen. But if it does, wouldn’t it be difficult to live in the same house? It’s a bit much to share a space with someone you see as a romantic interest.”
“...........”
Leaving Junhyuk speechless, Se-ah quickly wrapped herself in her makeshift blanket and closed her eyes.
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