TDIMEH Chapter 50

 

50. Marino

'Water flows from higher to lower ground.'

With that basic principle in mind, they followed the waterway upstream.

The other side of the island couldn’t survive without water either, so they were certain that if they followed the stream, they would eventually reach their destination.

Leading the group, Junhyuk tirelessly cut through trees and cleared the path for hours without showing any signs of exhaustion.

"Take a break while you work."

Se-ah approached him with a dry towel and a water bottle, urging him to stop.

They had enough food and water for several days, so there was no need for him to overexert himself.

If Junhyuk were to get injured or sick, there was no way they could make it through this journey. In fact, they wouldn’t have even dared to attempt it without him.

After wiping the sweat from his face, Junhyuk looked up at the sun shining through the leaves and nodded. It was just past noon, so they had a few hours before sunset.

It was also time to eat lunch.

"Let’s rest for about 30 minutes and then continue."

"Can’t we rest a bit longer? We’ve already been walking nonstop for four hours…"

Boss Nam, sitting carelessly on the ground, rubbed his tired calves with a weary expression.

"We need to find a campsite at least one or two hours before sunset to stay safe. As you can see, there are too many trees here to set up camp. If we continue a little further, we’ll reach an area with rocks, and we can spend the night there. That’s why 30 minutes is all we can spare," 

Junhyuk calmly explained. He had scouted the forest over the past two days. Although he hadn’t ventured deep into the forest alone, he had already located the next day’s rest spot.

The problem was that the group was moving slower than expected.

Amihan, pale-faced, tried his best not to be a burden and followed Junhyuk closely. Se-ah walked behind him.

Moon Sohee also pushed herself to keep up, but with everyone carrying luggage, traversing the narrow forest paths was no easy task.

The long line of travelers gradually slowed down.

For people unaccustomed to mountain paths, it was perhaps inevitable.

Still, they were steadily moving away from the beach.

During the break, everyone sat down on the ground to eat some dried food that Se-ah had packed.

Junhyuk, who had briefly disappeared, returned with a bunch of bananas. It seemed he had cut off just enough from a large cluster for them to eat.

Since fruit trees were scattered all over the area, there was no need to carry heavy fruits with them.

Junhyuk walked straight to Se-ah and handed her the ripest banana.

"Thank you."

Se-ah peeled the slightly green banana while cautiously glancing at the others.

She then handed it back to Junhyuk.

"You eat it first."

"That’s the ripest one."

"Exactly. That’s why you should eat it, Junhyuk."

Hearing her call him 'Junhyuk' instead of 'Captain,' his eyebrows momentarily furrowed before settling back into place. Of course, she couldn’t call him 'Captain' in front of the others.

"No, you eat it first. Otherwise, I won’t eat."

Seeing his stubborn refusal, Se-ah had no choice but to take a bite of the banana.

Once she started eating, Junhyuk distributed the rest of the bananas to the others sitting nearby.

"You two seem closer than before. Well, I guess that’s natural in a situation like this."

Boss Nam, who was next to receive a banana, commented casually as he munched on it, glancing at Se-ah and Junhyuk.

Startled, Se-ah nervously gauged his intention but quickly realized his words held no hidden meaning. He was simply making an observation.

"True. Even if it weren’t Coco, anyone else would have grown closer to him too." 

Moon Sohee, panting heavily from exhaustion, cast a longing glance at Junhyuk.

"By the way, maybe one of us should’ve stayed on the beach? We did see a plane last time," 

Boss Nam mentioned, recalling something belatedly.

"If they saw the signal, they would’ve returned in a day or two. Since they didn’t, it means they didn’t see us, and we can’t just sit around forever waiting for them," 

"Exactly. If they were going to come, they would’ve already done so," 

Se-ah added, glancing up at the cloudless sky with a hint of regret.

"Besides, that plane might belong to those people. If it was flying around to scout the area, it’s actually fortunate that we weren’t discovered."

"You’re right. I didn’t even think of that. We could’ve been in big trouble," 

Boss Nam said, his expression shifting to one of relief.

Se-ah let out a sigh of relief. At the time, she had been frustrated when Junhyuk quickly extinguished the smoke, but now she understood. If armed individuals had discovered them, they wouldn’t have had a chance to do anything.

Everyone exhaled in relief, realizing how disastrous it would’ve been if they’d been discovered by the armed group.

"So, if you encounter any strangers, don’t approach them right away. If they’re armed, your best option is to raise your hands and stay still," 

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Se-ah used slow gestures to explain the situation to Amihan.

Before they knew it, the 30 minutes had passed.

It felt even shorter than the 10-minute breaks they used to have during school days.

Boss Nam brushed off the dirt as he stood up, letting out a groan. Junhyuk turned to him and asked, 

"Are you marking the trail properly?"

"Of course. I tied ribbons about every 10 meters. If we follow them, we’ll be able to find our way back to the beach."

Boss Nam pointed to a nearby tree. A short red ribbon swayed in the wind.

"That’s very visible. Thank you."

"It’s nothing. It’s the least I could do."

Boss Nam had been tasked with marking the trail from the back of the group. Using one of the most brightly colored pieces of clothing they’d found washed up on the beach, he tore it into ribbons and tied them to tree branches.

Unless someone intentionally removed them, following the ribbons would lead them back to the wooden shelter near the beach.

This alone significantly reduced the group’s anxiety.

They resumed their journey, stopping to camp at night and walking again during the day.

After three days of this routine, they reached the base of a rocky peak. A steep rocky mountain loomed ahead, with a waterfall cascading down its side. This was the source of the water that had flowed down to the lower parts of the island.

While they had managed to find the right path so far, the road ahead now seemed insurmountable. A massive rocky mountain blocked their way.

"We’re not seriously going to climb that, are we?" 

Se-ah asked, her voice trembling. Junhyuk paused his steps and turned around. He whispered softly, just loud enough for Se-ah to hear,

"Do you want me to carry you?"

"N-no."

"If it gets hard, just say so. I can easily carry someone like you."

Unlike the rest of the group, who wore gloomy expressions as they stared at the rocky mountain in front of them, Junhyuk appeared completely unfazed.

***

The plane, flying at its lowest possible altitude, landed smoothly on the runway.

"Dear passengers, our flight has just arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. For your safety, please remain seated until the seatbelt sign is turned off."

As the announcement signaled their arrival in the Philippines, the passengers began to stir. Some even stood up to grab their belongings, only to be instructed to sit back down by the flight attendants.

Hearing the commotion, Marino removed his sleep mask.

"Awake now?" 

Asked Do Yeonsoo, who was seated next to him in the business class section. Her tone was gentle and amiable.

Marino hadn’t actually been asleep. He had only pretended to be, avoiding any unnecessary conversations. He found it unnerving that someone who casually requested a murder could also strike up small talk so nonchalantly.

Still, to achieve his goal, Marino maintained a facade of politeness. He nodded silently in response.

Out of nowhere, an image of Jin Se-ah popped into his head, starkly different from Do Yeonsoo. Jin Se-ah was as transparent inside as she was on the surface.

Despite having been brought down from a high place to her current circumstances, she neither gave up nor showed signs of weariness. Marino had found himself watching her without realizing it.

Was he curious about her? Captivated by her? Or perhaps even starting to like her?

He wasn’t sure. But given their situations, neither he nor Jin Se-ah could afford such emotions. So, he had kept his feelings to himself.

He had assumed there was plenty of time to figure things out. After all, she was someone who, having failed at her first marriage, seemed uninterested in forming new romantic connections.

Then Marino received a photo from Do Yeonsoo, and it felt like his chest had been punched.

He didn’t care much about the fact that the target Do Yeonsoo wanted him to kill was Jin Se-ah’s ex-husband. What alarmed him was the list of people who had gone missing alongside the target—Jin Se-ah’s name was on it.

For the first time, Marino felt cold sweat in his rough, calloused palms.

He didn’t know why she and her ex-husband were together, but the thought of something terrible happening to her made his vision go dark.

That was when Marino realized his feelings for Jin Se-ah ran deeper than he had thought.

 

To get more information, Marino accepted Do Yeonsoo’s job offer and immediately flew to the airport.

 

Of course, his stated intention of finding and killing Junhyuk was just an excuse.

What truly mattered was saving Jin Se-ah as quickly as possible.

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