TDIMEH Chapter 51

 

51. A Dangerous Cliff Climb.

A rope descended from the sky.

It was a rope that Junhyuk had lowered after climbing the rocks with his bare hands as if scaling a cliff.

Looking up at the rope precariously touching the ground, I saw him peeking over the massive rock.

"I've tied knots on it, so you can use them to climb up. Please come up one at a time, slowly."

Though his tone was as calm as a kind gym teacher's, the group waiting below looked as if they were prisoners facing execution.

Boss Nam, who usually hated heights, turned pale as if he were about to faint.

"I can't even go up to my rooftop. How am I supposed to climb that?"

"Just hold the rope and climb up slowly."

"That's easy for you to say. That slope looks at least 80 degrees."

To Se-ah, it looked almost like a 90-degree angle, but she decided not to say anything to avoid making them more scared.

"Should I push you from behind?"

"No, no! That would be even scarier."

"Still, we have to climb. It looks like the sun will set soon."

The sunlight reflected off the rocks was diminishing.

Sunrises on the island were breathtaking but fleeting. Soon, night would fall.

Before that, they had to find a safe spot and finish preparing to camp.

Se-ah was worried about not only Boss Nam but also Amihan and Moon Sohee. Junhyuk had to stay at the top to secure the rope in case anything went wrong, so everyone had to rely on their own strength to climb.

“Amihan, do you want to go first?”

Se-ah led Amihan, who seemed the lightest, to the rope. Just in case, she placed a hand on Amihan's forehead to check for any signs of fever, but perhaps because it was still daytime, Amihan seemed to be in decent condition.

"I'll be right behind you, so don't worry and just climb."

As Se-ah tried to demonstrate how to step on the knots and climb, Amihan grabbed the rope and climbed up even faster than her.

"Huh?"

He was quicker than Junhyuk.

Reaching the top in no time, Amihan waved from beside Junhyuk. His clear face showed no signs of fatigue.

"What just happened?"

"I don't know. Did I just see a flying squirrel?"

Boss Nam and Se-ah were stunned by Amihan's hidden talent.

Then they realized they didn’t have time to joke around anymore and needed to climb.

"Just let Coco go up first. I'll follow after. I think I can only make it if I watch someone else climb."

“I’ll do that.”

Just as Boss Nam spoke and Se-ah was about to grab the rope, it vanished before her eyes like magic.

“Huh? Where did it go?”

“I’ll go first.”

Somehow, Moon Sohee had seized the rope and began climbing the rock.

At that moment, a nightmare from the past flashed in Se-ah’s mind.

Could it be…? Would she do something crazy like cutting the rope after reaching the top?

Even if it were accidental, Junhyuk wouldn’t let her get away with it. But with her recent behavior, it wasn’t entirely out of the question.

Se-ah gulped nervously, her face tense.

Moon Sohee, though wobbly, managed to reach the top.

However, her pace was so slow that, by the time she made it, the sun was almost touching the horizon. Sunset was fast approaching.

Junhyuk, wearing a grim expression, shouted down at them from above.

“There’s no time. The rope won’t break even if you climb together, so don’t wait—just come up!”

With Amihan and Moon Sohee at the top, there were enough people to hold the rope steady.

Se-ah bit her lip, grabbed the rope, and began climbing first.

Boss Nam quickly followed close behind.

When they were about halfway up the cliff, a strong wind suddenly blew, causing both of their bodies to sway in unison.

“Wha-what’s happening?!”

The rope detached from the cliff as if a giant was shaking it from above, swinging wildly in the air.

Dangling precariously on the single rope, both their faces turned pale as sheets.

“Coco! Are we going to fall off one by one like this?”

“Why would you say something so ominous?!”

“I don’t want to, but the wind is too strong!”

“No matter what, don’t—don’t lose your grip on the rope!”

“O-okay.”

Boss Nam clung to the rope, trembling violently. Se-ah, too, was close to losing her focus as the swinging made her dizzy, but she bit her lip hard to regain her composure.

Whoosh, whoosh.

The sound of the wind piercing her ears was deafening.

Even worse, she could see the taut rope scraping against the jagged rocks with every swing, fraying bit by bit.

Snap, snap.

The ominous sounds rang in her ears.

For a moment, Se-ah considered retreating to the bottom, but she quickly realized that if the rope snapped, there’d be no way to climb again. She had no choice but to press onward.

“Boss Nam, when I give the signal, we’ll go straight up together. Got it?”

“Y-yeah.”

Se-ah gritted her teeth, waiting for the right timing.

For a brief moment, the gusting wind subsided.

“Now!”

As soon as Se-ah and Boss Nam grabbed the rope to climb, their bodies were suddenly pulled upward along with it.

“Huh? What’s happening?”

Confused, the two looked up but couldn’t see Junhyuk, who was supposed to be holding the rope. Amihan was also nowhere to be seen.

“Looks like they’re pulling the rope from above.”

“That seems to be the case. We should climb while pushing off the rocks to make it easier. Follow me closely.”

“Y-yeah. I’ll try.”

Using the pulling force from above as leverage, Se-ah quickly climbed up the rock. Though she was afraid to look down, she still checked to ensure Boss Nam was following properly.

Before long, they reached the top of the cliff. As soon as Se-ah’s feet touched solid ground, she immediately grabbed the rope and helped pull Boss Nam up.

His head popped over the edge, and his trembling legs finally landed on solid ground.

“W-we’re alive!”

Se-ah and Boss Nam hugged each other tightly. Nearly dying together had forged a strong camaraderie.

“How long are you going to stay like that?”

If it hadn’t been for Junhyuk’s cold voice, they might have stayed that way longer.

Only then did Se-ah notice Junhyuk, covered in sweat, and Amihan, whose face was equally flushed.

“Junhyuk! Amihan! Thank you.”

She also expressed her gratitude to Moon Sohee, who, though her expression remained unchanged, had likely helped in some way.

“That was so close. Who could’ve guessed the wind would pick up like that…?”

As Se-ah calmed her still-racing heart, she noticed Junhyuk’s palms, raw and red from the rope.

“You’re hurt?”

“No. Who said I’m hurt?”

Junhyuk quickly hid his hands as soon as he saw her alarmed face, but Se-ah grabbed his arm and pulled his hand toward her.

Both his palms were scraped raw, as if he’d burned them from pulling the rope so hard.

“What? You got hurt because of us?”

Boss Nam was also shocked to see the serious injuries.

Even a small scrape in that area would sting, but these wounds, with the rope’s imprint deeply marked, were much worse. Se-ah felt a sharp pang in her chest.

“Why… did you do that? We could’ve climbed up on our own.”

Her voice trembled with suppressed tears as she reproached him.

“How could I just watch?”

Junhyuk rubbed his nose and avoided her gaze.

“You told me not to get hurt, and now you’re the one who’s hurt. How is that fair?”

Even though he was the injured one—and if it weren’t for him, they might have been in real danger—the sight of his severe wounds brought out her scolding.

“That only applies to you. I don’t care about myself.”

“Don’t ever do that again. Give me your hand. I’ll apply some ointment.”

As Se-ah rummaged through their supplies for medicine, Junhyuk held out his hand and replied in a low voice.

“I can’t promise that. I’ll do it again if I have to. Hopefully, it won’t come to that, but if you’re ever in danger, I’ll do whatever it takes to save you.”

Se-ah felt certain that Junhyuk meant every word.

A surge of emotion overwhelmed her again.

In that moment, she resolved that if he were ever in danger, she would save him—no matter what.

Prev _ Next