36. The Fundamentals of Relationships
Early in the morning, Junhyuk had already left.
From the faint noises nearby, it seemed he was still doing something close to the house. After all, since I asked him not to go too far, he wouldn’t have wandered off too much.
Although I hadn’t slept well for two consecutive nights, just lying down with my eyes closed seemed to have improved my condition somewhat.
Tidying up my messy hair, I chose the cleanest-looking outfit from the clothes we’d salvaged and put it on.
I told myself not to dwell on what he said yesterday, yet I found my eyes drifting to the mirror again and again. Although there wasn’t much point in trying to look nice here, I couldn’t resist brushing my hair one more time.
Creek.
As I stepped outside, Junhyuk, who was crouched down making a fire, glanced up at me.
His complexion was paler than usual, as if he hadn’t slept well either. Just as I hesitated, wondering if I should ask how he slept, Junhyuk broke the silence first.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.”
“…That’s good. You must be hungry. Let’s eat first.”
Junhyuk didn’t bring up anything strange and treated me as usual.
Maybe the odd question he asked yesterday was just that—a passing question. He must have had a lot on his mind, too.
Relieved, I sat down beside him.
I couldn’t deny feeling a tinge of disappointment, but I didn’t want to jeopardize the calm we’d managed to establish.
After a simple breakfast prepared by Junhyuk, we got ready to head back into the forest.
Today, we planned to venture deeper, so we packed more pebbles and lids to mark our path.
We also carried boiled water and two pieces of dried meat tied to our sides with rope.
Though it was a risky expedition, with Junhyuk by my side and ample supplies, it felt almost like going on a picnic.
When I smiled brightly, Junhyuk looked at me with a peculiar expression, prompting me to quickly put on a serious face. But soon after, I couldn’t help but smile again.
Thanks to the path we cleared yesterday, it didn’t take long to reach the spot we had left off. Beyond that, we resumed cutting through grass and trees.
Junhyuk, seeming stronger than the day before, cleared a path in one swift motion as he walked forward.
Watching him crush the branches he’d cut down with his feet, I asked curiously,
“Captain, are you sure nothing’s bothering you?”
“There’s nothing wrong.”
“Are you sure? You seem like you’re taking out your anger on something.”
“It’s just your imagination. I always work like this. Is it different for that other guy?”
Though Junhyuk’s expression remained calm like a serene lakeside, he mercilessly tore through the surrounding vegetation. Oddly enough, that calmness made him seem even scarier.
Feeling self-conscious, Se-ah busied herself tidying up the fallen branches while keeping an eye on Junhyuk.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“No. Just stay back and don’t get hurt. Here, not getting injured is the best help you can give.”
“Alright.”
As she obediently stepped back, her foot caught on an exposed tree root, and she fell backward onto her bottom.
“Ouch.”
Even though she barely whispered the complaint, mindful of his earlier warning, Junhyuk immediately turned his head toward her.
“What happened? Did you fall? Are you hurt?”
The moment he saw her on the ground, Junhyuk dropped everything in his hands and ran over to her. Without hesitation, he reached out and lifted her up like a father picking up a child, making her face flush red with embarrassment.
“I’m fine,”
“Fine? You’re scratched right here,”
He retorted, frowning as he pointed to her palm. During her fall, she had braced herself on the ground, scraping her hand against a branch. The scratch was so tiny she hadn’t even noticed it until he pointed it out.
How had he even seen that? She hadn’t realized just how sharp his eyesight was.
While she remained calm, Junhyuk held her hands and meticulously checked for other injuries. Finding nothing significant, he sighed in relief. Yet, instead of returning to what he was doing, he scooped her up into his arms.
“We’re going back right now.”
“No, I’m fine. Put me down. This scratch will heal with just some spit,”
“No. It needs to be disinfected and treated with antibiotic ointment. Otherwise, it could get infected.”
“Then I’ll walk back on my own!”
“No. What if you trip again?”
“I won’t fall!”
“But you could.”
As he repeatedly insisted, she struggled against his hold, but Junhyuk carried her out of the forest without faltering.
Once they were back at the cabin, he cleaned the wound with disinfectant from the first aid kit. He blew on it gently to dry it before applying ointment and covering it with a waterproof bandage.
Only then did he seem reassured.
“You didn’t need to use the supplies. It’s such a minor scratch…”
Se-ah grumbled. Her complaints barely finished when Junhyuk abruptly lifted his shirt.
“Look at this,”
Se-ah gasped and instinctively tried to turn away, but her eyes widened when she saw the scar he pointed to on his side.
“What kind of wound is that?”
She had never looked closely before, but the scar resembled one from a severe burn, with flesh that had been deeply damaged.
“In the jungle, I was stabbed by a tree branch. Without proper medicine, the wound became necrotic. The people who helped me had no choice but to burn the infection away to save me. If they hadn’t, I might not have survived. That’s why you can’t ignore even a small injury in a place like this.”
Burning flesh to treat an infection.
Though the scar had faded significantly, it was easy to imagine how excruciating the experience must have been just by the way the scar looked.
Se-ah understood his reasoning and nodded quickly.
Seeing his scar, she realized why he had been so overprotective.
“There’s no rush, so let’s rest today and decide tomorrow whether to venture deeper after checking your wound.”
“Alright.”
Se-ah resolved to follow Junhyuk’s lead no matter what. Without him, survival would have been nearly impossible for her.
“I’ll go check the traps we set yesterday. We might have caught something,”
“I’ll come with you,”
As she followed him, her eyes caught sight of a light aircraft flying overhead.
“Junhyuk! Look, it’s a plane!”
Her heart raced with excitement. It was a miracle to see a plane in a place where even passing ships were rare.
“We need to light a signal fire!”
At her words, Junhyuk sprinted to the trash pile they had gathered on the beach and set it ablaze. They had prepared for such moments, stuffing dried coconut shells throughout the pile to produce thick, black smoke along with white plumes.
I hope they see this smoke.
Se-ah murmured, fanning the flames with a piece of cloth to make the smoke rise higher.
Even as the acrid smoke stung her eyes and tears streamed down her face, she couldn’t stop. Beside her, Junhyuk worked tirelessly, sweating as he fed more fuel to the fire.
The smoke climbed high into the sky, carrying their hopes with it.
But despite their efforts, the plane disappeared from view, leaving the two of them staring helplessly at the distant horizon.
Se-ah collapsed onto the sand, staring blankly at the sky in despair.
A shadow fell over her as Junhyuk stood beside her.
“They’ll come back. Maybe they saw the smoke but couldn’t approach for some reason. Don’t give up hope,”
He reassured her, wiping the sweat from his brow as if nothing had happened.
“And if such a small plane is flying around here, it means another island or landmass can’t be far. If it comes to it, I’ll plan a way to build a raft and escape.”
Hearing his words, Se-ah fought back tears and nodded, clenching her fists.
She stood up abruptly, determined not to rely solely on Junhyuk for comfort.
“We need to gather more materials to burn before the plane returns. We can do that by evening,”
“Good. Let’s do that.”
***
Watching Se-ah move with determination, Junhyuk smiled. But once she disappeared from view, his expression turned somber.
He carefully extinguished the fire with sand to ensure no smoke or flames remained.
Although they needed the fire to signal passing planes, he couldn’t ignore the possibility that it might also draw dangerous attention from others who might inhabit the island.
I’ll need to set up more traps, he muttered, surveying the area with a wary gaze.
While Se-ah searched for more materials to burn, Junhyuk refilled his quiver and carved sharp stakes from long branches, hiding them in inconspicuous places.
Despite his preparations, Junhyuk’s unease lingered.
As he watched Se-ah eat with such contentment that her cheeks puffed out, his resolve to protect her and their temporary refuge only grew stronger.
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