TDIMEH Chapter 39

  39. Noona (Older sister)

During dinner, Boss Nam remained unusually silent.  

It would seem odd for a young man and woman to live under the same roof, but Boss Nam, with his inherently indifferent personality, seemed to accept Junhyuk's explanation without much thought.  

It was clear that, like him, Junhyuk did not see Se-ah as a romantic interest. Or perhaps it was because he assumed Se-ah had a husband and thought nothing more of it.  

It was this very personality that allowed him to get along with her without any issues for the past three years.  

"Good night."  

"And to you, Coco."  

After Junhyuk roughly tied up the wooden pillar he had erected with cloth and stepped inside, Boss Nam followed. Thanks to the fire they had lit nearby, there weren't too many bugs around.  

Having already endured quite a bit from the bugs, he seemed somewhat accustomed to it.  

No matter what, getting along until they were rescued was the best option. Just like the night before, Se-ah returned to the door where Junhyuk was waiting for her.  

"Are you waiting again, even though I said it was fine?"  

"Do I need to say again that it's not fine?"  

"Alright. Let's go inside."  

Following Se-ah, Junhyuk once again diligently secured the door.  

By now, she was getting used to his behavior.  

In fact, it was fortunate that the person who got caught in Junhyuk's trap was Boss Nam. If it had been a suspicious drifter, who knows what would have happened to their life on the island? Most of Junhyuk's actions were for the best.  

As she lay down near the window with her head tilted, Junhyuk, lying diagonally across from her, looked at her.  

"What is it?"  

"...It's not like the two of us can always be alone, right? Eventually, others will appear."  

"Sorry?"  

"Once we're rescued, we'll have to live completely apart."  

"Of course."  

"…But that doesn't mean we shouldn't leave."  

It was unclear if he wanted an answer or just wanted to talk. With a serious expression, Junhyuk seemed to be mulling over his words on his own.  

Finding him both endearing and a bit worrisome, Se-ah leaned forward with her chin in her hands and asked him, 

"Is this because your memory hasn't come back?"  

"What?"  

"You seem a little uneasy."  

"It's not because of my memory."  

He replied with a disgruntled expression.  

"Then why? Did something upset you? Is it because of Boss Nam?"  

".....…"  

Instead of answering, Junhyuk silently stared at Se-ah. Suddenly, he rolled over, moving so close to her that it seemed as though he had teleported.  

The swiftness of it all was so startling that she briefly wondered if he had somehow transcended space itself.    

Supporting his upper body with one arm, he locked eyes with a startled Se-ah.  

She tried to ignore the impressive muscles peeking through the gaps in his clothes, focusing her gaze on his face instead.  

His elegant eyebrows, sharp nose, and slightly plump lips shone like a model straight out of a magazine.  

No matter where she looked, Do Junhyuk was a man difficult to ignore.  

"Ahem. Why are you doing this?"  

She cleared her throat softly to change the mood, but Junhyuk's dark eyes stayed fixed on her.  

The earthy scent of wood, reminiscent of the forest, emanated strongly from him as he drew closer.  

The air around them seemed to heat up subtly.  

Just as she wondered what he was about to say, his lips parted.  

"As you know, I don’t have memories of the future."  

"Yes."  

"But it doesn’t make me feel particularly uneasy or afraid about myself."  

"I see."  

Se-ah replied with relief.  

If it were her, she would have been overwhelmed with anxiety, so she found his composure remarkable.  

But then, what could be troubling him? As she pondered, Junhyuk looked at her with a serious gaze.  

"But since I first woke up and saw you, I feel uneasy at the thought of you not being there. I don’t care about others, but I want you by my side."  

"Sorry?"  

"It's like imprinting, you know? Biologically, when young animals see something for the first time, they think of it as their mother and follow it."  

"Are you saying… I'm your mother?"  

Startled, Se-ah exclaimed, and Junhyuk chuckled, his shoulders shaking.  

"No. That’s not it."  

"Then… what are you saying?"  

"I don't mean for you to be my mother, but until my memory returns, I hope you’ll stay by my side like I’m protecting you. I can’t trust anyone else."  

While his tone was calm, Se-ah jumped from her seat in surprise.  

"But… how long would that be?"  

"Who knows? Maybe for a lifetime."  

"What? A lifetime? You’re saying I have to stay by your side for life?"  

"Didn’t you say a coconut fell and hit my head? Shouldn't the perpetrator at least compensate the victim? If you think about it, that’s attempted murder."  

Junhyuk’s words left Se-ah rolling her eyes.  

He was right; if she hadn’t been picking coconuts, this wouldn’t have happened. She had no rebuttal.  

Trying to pass it off as nature’s doing felt dishonest, especially since it was the very coconut she was cutting. Her conscience wouldn’t allow her to lie.  

Instead, she carefully chose her words.  

"Once we get back, Junhyuk, your family can take care of you better than I can. You still have both your parents, don’t you? Well, let’s leave your sister out of this…"  

"No. I don’t trust my family either. I don’t even want to let my mother know about this."  

Well, it made sense. Thinking of her former mother-in-law, Min Jihee, who was always tense when it came to Junhyuk, Se-ah found his reaction understandable.  

"Still…"  

"You’re the only one who can understand the day I woke up as a 20-year-old, Jin Se-ah."  

"Even so…"  

"If you agree, I’ll do whatever you want in return."  

His smile lit up like a flower attracting bees. As his smooth lips curved into a deeper smile, Se-ah nearly nodded in agreement before fully hearing him out, captivated.  

It felt like a sticky antlion pit—or rather, a Do Junhyuk pit—was right in front of her.  

"What I want?"  

Already feeling as if she were sinking into that trap, her unfocused eyes met his as she asked faintly.  

"Yes."    

"I'll call you 'Noona.'"  

"What… What?"  

"You said that's what you wanted to hear."  

"That’s true, but…"  

Se-ah, who almost nodded without thinking, shook her head vigorously, startled. She had nearly mortgaged her future to Do Junhyuk's stunning good looks in an instant.  

Yet the words that followed left her speechless, unable to resist.  

"Stay by my side, Noona. Until I no longer need you."  

His seductive words made Se-ah nod involuntarily. It was as if, even if he had demanded her servitude, she might have agreed.  

***

Junhyuk, who had been watching the sleeping Se-ah for a long time, rested his head on his arm and stared at the ceiling.  

The bump on the back of his head had almost disappeared, but his memories still hadn’t returned.  

Even so, if this was just a temporary aftereffect of the accident, his memory was likely to return within a few days.  

Junhyuk knew this, yet he decided to use the excuse of potentially never regaining his memory to convince Se-ah to stay with him.  

If he didn’t, she would undoubtedly leave his side without hesitation once they escaped the island.  

There was clearly a wall between them.  

For reasons unknown, Jin Se-ah had drawn a boundary that she wouldn’t allow him to cross.  

While she seemed gentle and docile like a lamb most of the time, whenever he tried to get closer, she would skillfully and sharply evade him.  

The way she looked at him wasn’t unkind—no, it was closer to affectionate. Her flushed cheeks when he leaned closer before she fell asleep weren’t a lie.  

But why did she still keep her distance?  

It didn’t bother him much when it was just the two of them, but after others appeared, he began to feel a sense of urgency.  

He had planned to take his time and win her over slowly, but now he worried that someone else might swoop in before he had the chance.  

Junhyuk couldn’t bear the thought of Se-ah’s attention shifting to someone else.  

That couldn’t happen.  

Though they hadn’t spent much time together, Junhyuk found himself deeply fond of Jin Se-ah.  

Despite her doll-like face, she was warm, humane, and kind. He also liked how her thoughts were plainly written on her face, unlike people who were two-faced.  

He didn’t know who might be by his side in the future, but he felt he could at least trust Jin Se-ah.  

That’s why, unlike his future self, he had to find a way to keep her tied to him before they were rescued.  

Even if it meant playing the card of calling her 'Noona.'

Junhyuk was confident that, no matter who appeared, he could win over Jin Se-ah’s affection.  

And from what he knew, the best way to win someone over in a place like this was to make sure they were well-fed.  

With this in mind, he murmured to himself with determination:  

"Tomorrow morning, we'll have meat again. And grill some corn, too."  

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