TDIMEH Chapter 53

 

53. The Gunshot

“I’ll be back.”

After a simple breakfast, he left with a fresh and carefree expression, as if heading out for a morning stroll. In his hand was a map that Amihan had drawn on tree bark.

“What’s wrong, Coco? You look like the world just ended.”

Boss Nam approached her slumped figure and patted her shoulder.

“If you’re really that worried, should I follow him? I used to be quite the fighter in my day.”

He mimed throwing punches, prompting Se-ah to force a small smile.

That’s right. Stay strong.

The less Junhyuk was around, the better she needed to take care of the others. She couldn’t afford to stay downcast.

“But, you know… I’ve been meaning to ask you something. I’ve held off because it didn’t seem appropriate when we were all together.”

What could he be hesitating so much to say?

Boss Nam lowered his voice and glanced around cautiously.

“President Do Junhyuk… isn’t he your husband? It just doesn’t seem like you two met here for the first time. The more I look at him, the more he resembles the man from the photo.”

“Well, that…”

Caught off guard by his sharp observation, Se-ah’s eyes darted around, searching for a place to look.

“I’ve known you for three years now, Coco. The Se-ah I know is kind to others but doesn’t easily open her heart. But no matter how desperate the circumstances on this island are, you two got close really fast. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not thinking anything strange.”

“I understand.”

“So, after some thought, I figured you two must have been married or known each other before but got separated for some reason. Am I right?”

Although his guess was almost spot on, Se-ah hesitated briefly before deciding to tell the truth.

After all, she planned to leave her job on the cruise ship once this ordeal was over.

Boss Nam already knew her work visa was set to expire, and he expected her to leave by the end of the year. With everything that had happened, he probably wouldn’t try to hold her back.

Keeping this a secret until the end, only for him to find out later, would likely upset him even more.

Se-ah resolved to come clean—not only to Boss Nam but also to Junhyuk when he returned.

“You’re right. Do Junhyuk is my husband. Well, ex-husband, actually. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“What? Seriously?”

At the mention of divorce, Boss Nam’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Yes. We were married through an arranged meeting between our families… but my family went bankrupt, and we ended up divorcing early.”

“Well, I see. Given the circumstances, it would’ve been hard to bring it up. So, when you said you were deployed, was it because having a husband would make things less dangerous? Am I right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Se-ah nodded calmly.

“I thought so. It just felt like that.”

“I’m sorry for deceiving you.”

“Oh, no. It’s fine. If I were in your situation, I’d probably have done the same. If you married into someone like President Do Junhyuk’s family, then Coco must’ve come from quite a wealthy background too. That explains it… You’ve always had this aura of elegance. So, were the clothes you wore really designer?”

“Yes. I’ve told you many times, but no one believed me.”

“Wow. And to think I teased you about them being knockoffs.”

Boss Nam scratched his head, embarrassed at his lack of judgment.

“It’s alright. Considering my circumstances, wearing clothes like that was over the top.”

“No way. But still, to be stranded on a deserted island with your ex-husband… life sure has its twists and turns.”

“Exactly. I never imagined I’d end up living like this here. After the divorce, I came straight here and completely cut off contact.”

“President Do kept that secret well too.”

“I asked him to. Back then, I thought I’d never see him again.”

She had thought their encounter at the airport would be the end of it, but fate had brought them together on this island. And so much had changed between them since then.

“With his wealth, you could’ve relied on him. But if you chose not to, that’s impressive. Really impressive.”

“You know my personality.”

“Right. That explains why you worked so hard to save money in a place like this. Your parents must be so proud of you.”

Boss Nam looked at Se-ah with warmer eyes than before.

“Oh, right. I’ll keep this to myself so President Do doesn’t feel uncomfortable. I won’t say anything to anyone else either.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. It’s only natural to pretend I don’t know. If a third party meddles in someone’s love life, it never turns out well. So, do your best.”

“What?”

Se-ah gave Boss Nam a puzzled look as he patted her shoulder.

“Getting closer again is a good thing, isn’t it? From what I can see, you’re both good people. If external circumstances drove you apart, maybe this is a chance to start over. Who knows? This might be a blessing from above.”

“….….”

“If you make it through this alive, you’ve already overcome such a massive hurdle. What couldn’t you handle next? Plenty of divorced couples end up getting back together. Anyway, I’m rooting for you.”

Boss Nam clenched his fist and whispered a small “fighting.”

“R-reconciliation? No way. I’ll just go check the area.”

Embarrassed, Se-ah hurriedly excused herself.

Her face felt so flushed that when she pressed her hands to her cheeks, her palms quickly grew warm.

“Don’t go too far, though—it’s dangerous.”

“I won’t.”

She had already thought it might be a good idea to scout for potential hiding places in case people suddenly showed up. Se-ah decided to stick to nearby areas to avoid getting lost.

“There’s really no good spot.”

The area was a narrow creek with mostly small stones rather than large rocks, leaving no suitable hiding places.

Instead, there was a hill densely covered with tall grass. If they lowered themselves there, it seemed unlikely they would be discovered.

While scouting, Se-ah crouched by the creek to wash her face and neck. That was when it happened.

Bang.

A loud gunshot echoed through the forest.

Flap, flap. Birds that she hadn’t even noticed took to the sky, startled by the sound.

W-what was that?

With a pale face, Se-ah hurried back to the group. Boss Nam, Moon Sohee, and Amihan were all standing with anxious expressions, backpacks slung over their shoulders.

Noticing her arrival, Boss Nam rushed over with a trembling voice.

“C-Coco, you heard that too?”

“I did.”

It was impossible not to. The sound was loud enough to make anyone’s ears ring.

“It… it was a gunshot, wasn’t it?”

“It seems like it.”

“You don’t think President Do Junhyuk got caught, do you? Maybe things didn’t go well.”

“That’s unlikely.”

Se-ah shook her head, trying to dismiss the same thought that had crossed her mind.

“[Amihan, it’s okay. Don’t be scared.]”

Se-ah gently calmed Amihan, who was trembling in fear. Gradually, his ragged breathing evened out.

Once Se-ah saw that Amihan had calmed, she turned to Boss Nam.

“Boss Nam, I’ll go check it out. Please look after Amihan.”

“W-where do you think you’re going?”

“I need to find out what happened. We can’t just sit here and wait.”

“Didn’t you hear what we discussed last night? No matter what happens, we’re supposed to stay put.”

Boss Nam blocked her path, adamant.

“But a gunshot changes things.”

“I still don’t think it’s a good idea. He told me not to let you go, no matter what….”

“What are you talking about?”

“Who do you think? President Do Junhyuk. He was so worried about you. He said not to leave, no matter what, to avoid getting separated or putting yourself in danger. If anything seems off, he said to head back to the beach—it’s the safest place.”

Without Junhyuk, nowhere felt truly safe.

Convinced there was no time to waste, Se-ah gathered emergency supplies into her bag, just in case.

“I’m going anyway. If I’m not back in half a day, head to the beach without me. I’ll make sure to bring Junhyuk back safely.”

Seeing the resolve on Se-ah’s face, Boss Nam reluctantly nodded.

“Fine… Go. I’ll be praying for your safety.”

“Thank you.”

Se-ah set off, hurrying along the path Junhyuk had taken earlier.

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