TDIMEH Chapter 41

 41. Realization

"A swamp?"

The concern etched deeply onto Junhyuk’s face as he approached the spot where Se-ah stood. 

After a brief moment of consideration, he scanned the surroundings and stepped closer to the boundary where solid ground met the swamp, extending his hand to her.

"Take my hand."

Se-ah extended her free arm—the one not holding the stick—toward him, but their hands remained agonizingly two palm-lengths apart.

"I can’t reach!"

Her face flushed red from exertion as she cried out in frustration.  

"Try stretching further."

"Alright...!"

At that moment, the ground beneath Junhyuk gave a sudden, ominous crack, and dirt began to crumble away. His feet now teetered precariously on the edge.

"Wait! The ground is collapsing; it’s too dangerous! I’m fine, so please climb back to safety!"

Se-ah’s complexion turned ghostly pale.  

"I can’t do that."

Despite her protests, Junhyuk tried a few more times before finally pulling out the stick she had been leaning on. Gripping the opposite end firmly, he used it to draw her toward him.

"Hold on tight. Whatever you do, don’t let go."

"Okay."

Though her palms were raw and scraped from gripping the rough surface of the stick, Se-ah clung to it with all her might, determined not to let go.

"One, two, three!"

With a loud shout, Junhyuk pulled the stick with all his strength. He managed to extract her from the mud up to her waist as if pulling up a stubborn root, but the real trouble started from there.  

The thick swamp mud exerted immense pressure, holding her legs tightly as if they were tied with ropes. Despite Junhyuk’s efforts, she began to sink back into the mire, undoing his progress.

"Just a little more effort. I’ll pull again."

Having spent all his energy earlier, Junhyuk struggled to muster enough strength to pull her up. Meanwhile, Se-ah’s trembling fingers desperately clung to the stick, even as her strength waned.

Her mind flashed to scenes of people drowning in swamps from movies. Although she had once watched survival programs with fascination, now, faced with a real-life crisis, her mind went blank.  

It felt as though the thick mud wasn’t just swallowing her legs but also invading her thoughts.  

As the fear of imminent death set in, her family came to mind. Deciding it was better to speak now than regret it later, she turned to Junhyuk.  

"Junhyuk, my home address—my boss knows it. There’s a file case in the second drawer next to my bed. Inside, there’s a bankbook. It’s not much, but you can use it for my funeral expenses. My father is currently in the ICU at J Hospital. You can contact my younger sibling through him. They’re the only family I have."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Junhyuk glared at her, his eyes wide with disbelief.  

"If something happens to me, promise me you'll do it."

"That’s not going to happen. Focus and give it your all."

"I’m saying this because I don’t have the strength to do that anymore."

Not only were her palms raw, but her entire arms had grown weak. She regretted not doing strength training—her soft, untoned arms stood no chance against the swamp’s relentless grip. The old saying about regret always being a step too late applied even on this remote island.

"I’m running out of strength to hold on."

Seeing the despair in Se-ah’s face, Junhyuk’s expression hardened with determination. He drove the stick firmly into the ground.

"Hold on a little longer."

When he pulled out a rope from his bag, Se-ah violently shook her head. She could already see what he intended to do.

"No, don’t! What if you fall in too?"

"So what? Then we die together."

"What? Why would you do that? Are you insane?"

"Whether I lose my mind seeing you die or lose it dying with you, it’s the same to me."

Ignoring her protests, Junhyuk tied the rope securely to a nearby tree and wrapped the other end around his waist, knotting it tightly. Once he made sure the rope was taut and firmly in place, he began descending into the swamp.

Each step he took into the mire was devoid of hesitation. In contrast, Se-ah, consumed with fear, begged him.

"Please stop. At least save yourself!"

"It’s too late for that now."

He replied firmly as his foot sank into the mud.  

The moment Junhyuk approached, memories flooded back to Se-ah—the day she had gone to meet him at the hotel. Back then, Junhyuk had belonged to a world that seemed as high and untouchable as the stars. She had never imagined him stepping down to her level, let alone sinking so low.

Just as her life had fallen endlessly, she had thought there was no way she could ever climb to where he stood. She had been certain they would never grow close.

Yet here he was, stepping from solid ground into the swamp for her, without a second thought. Tears welled in her eyes as she watched him.

The endless doubts she had wrestled with last night and this morning disappeared. Whether his actions were driven by care or merely a desire to help someone in need didn’t matter anymore. The fact that he was risking his life to save her left no room for questions about his intentions. From that moment, Do Junhyuk ceased to be a source of conflict for her.

Instead, a blind affection for him took hold.  

While there had been countless moments when she had admired him before, never had she felt so desperate for him as she did now.

"…Thank you."

"Save your thanks for when we’re safe up there."

With a wry smile, Junhyuk wrapped his arms around her slim waist and lifted her effortlessly. Despite his smile, his grip was so strong it left visible marks on her skin.

Squish.

The mud, which had weighed her down so heavily when she struggled earlier, gave way with a loud, squelching sound as he exerted his full strength. Using the combined force of his lift and the support from the stick, Se-ah propelled herself upward in one swift motion.  

For a brief moment, the tension was so overwhelming that Se-ah felt breathless, her lungs burning as she gasped for air.  

Looking down, she saw Junhyuk casually waving at her with a relaxed expression.

"Well, Jin Se-ah’s safe now."

"What are you talking about? Do Junhyuk, you have to survive too!"

"I prefer 'Captain' over Do Junhyuk. The name Do Junhyuk feels like it belongs to someone else entirely."

"Alright, Captain. Now, climb up the rope or grab this stick!"

Bracing herself against a nearby tree for support, Se-ah extended the stick to him. However, her shorter arms left the end of the stick just shy of his reach.  

Like her, Junhyuk’s body was beginning to sink further into the swamp.

"Junhyuk! Stretch out a little more!"

Se-ah stomped her feet in desperation, trying to lower the stick further.  

Junhyuk, who had remained calm even in the face of danger, pushed the stick aside playfully and said.

"Didn’t you give me your last words earlier? Maybe I should leave some of my own now."

"What? Don’t say such things! I was joking! Don’t you dare utter anything that sounds like a last will!"

Startled by his words, Se-ah shouted, while he smirked mischievously like a prankster.

"Then how about a request instead of a last will? If you grant my wish, I might actually feel motivated to survive."

"You have to survive no matter what."

"Exactly. That’s why I need some motivation."

"What… what kind of request is it?"

Panicked, Se-ah was ready to agree to anything if it meant he would climb back up.

"Why don’t you tell me honestly why you’ve been pushing me away?"

"When… have I done that?"

"When? You’ve been doing it all along. Did my future self make a huge mistake or commit a crime or something?"

"No! What mistake could you possibly make?"

"Then maybe we started dating and broke up?"

"What?"

His sharp remark left Se-ah momentarily speechless.  

If only breaking up was the end of it… but no. We got divorced—an ultra-speed divorce at that.

Unable to voice her thoughts, she could only move her lips wordlessly. Seeing this, Junhyuk tilted his head curiously.

"If that’s not it, then there’s no reason for you to hate me. Where would you find someone as great as me, huh?"

"I’ve never hated you. If anything, it’s the opposite."

"…Then why?"

Looking up at her with genuinely curious eyes, Junhyuk's body suddenly sank another 5 centimeters into the swamp with a loud squelch.

"I’ll explain once you’re up here. So please, just climb up!"

"Promise?"

"Of course."

With that, their exchange ended on a note of hope as Se-ah prepared herself to help him climb back to safety.

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