TDIMEH Chapter 56

 56. Apology

“What... what are you saying?”  

Moon Sohee hesitated, glancing around nervously. Her face flushed, as though she realized how embarrassing her actions had been.  

“If I hadn’t gone to help you when you couldn’t get off the boat, what would have happened? You wouldn’t even be here right now.”  

“W-We’re part of the same group, so of course we should help each other…”  

“Help each other? Was that what you were doing when you deliberately pulled your hand away as I tried to get on the boat for the last time?”  

“What? Are you saying Coco couldn’t grab it because Moon Sohee avoided it on purpose?”  

Boss Nam shouted furiously at Moon Sohee, glancing at Se-ah, who nodded affirmatively.  

“Do you have any idea how much danger Coco put herself in to save you, Moon Sohee? And yet you repay her kindness with betrayal? How could someone do such a thing?”  

Even Junhyuk, who couldn’t remember that moment, stiffened with a grim expression.  

“It’s a misunderstanding! My hand slipped, that’s all! I didn’t do it on purpose!”  

Moon Sohee frantically denied it, even gesturing with her hands to emphasize her point.  

“No. You did it on purpose. If you hadn’t, you would’ve reached out again. Instead of just standing there and watching.”  

“That’s not true! Why won’t you believe me?”  

“You think Coco would lie about something like this?”  

No one believed Moon Sohee’s protests, no matter how loudly she voiced them. Everyone trusted Se-ah, knowing she wasn’t the kind of person to make up stories, and Moon Sohee’s past behavior only reinforced their judgment.  

Se-ah glared at Moon Sohee with an icy expression.  

She couldn’t tolerate someone who had lived thanks to others’ help yet was stingy and spiteful in return.  

“Apologize. Apologize for what you did to me back then and for the words you just said to Amihan. If you don’t apologize, I won’t share the same space with you anymore.”  

“What... what are you saying? Are you telling me to leave?”  

Pale and trembling, Moon Sohee demanded an answer.   

“Yes, that’s right. If you won’t apologize, then leave. Didn’t you say you didn’t even want to come here in the first place? And as you said, I’ve decided not to waste any more pointless sympathy on you.”  

“T-That’s…”  

Her wavering eyes darted around, seemingly searching for someone to help her, but no one was willing to assist her in this situation.  

Clinging to her last hope, she turned to Boss Nam.  

“H-Have you forgotten our agreement? You’re supposed to be on my side!”  

“The agreement just ended. No matter how important money is, it can’t outweigh a person’s life. Deliberately refusing to grab someone’s hand in that situation is no different from attempted murder.”  

With a hardened expression, Boss Nam turned his back on her.  

Left with no choice, Moon Sohee bit her lip and lowered her head toward Se-ah. She mumbled in a barely audible voice.  

“…I’m… sorry.”  

“What did you say?”  

“I… said I’m sorry…”  

“I can’t hear you at all.”  

Her words weren’t intentionally quiet, but they sounded like a faint murmur.  

Letting out a small sigh, Moon Sohee finally apologized with a resigned look on her face.  

“I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I acted that way toward Coco back then. I also apologize for saying those harsh words to Amihan.”  

****

Although she claimed she didn’t know why, Moon Sohee knew better than anyone the real reason behind her actions.  

At the center of it all was Do Junhyuk.  

Before coming to the Philippines, Junhyuk had shown no interest in women—whether it was her or anyone else.  

But here, he had changed. And only in front of that woman.  

The man who used to be cold and indifferent to everyone would soften and his expression would change whenever Coco appeared. This transformation was glaringly obvious to Moon Sohee, who had been by his side for years.  

At first, she couldn’t figure out why. But after seeing that woman’s face, she understood everything.  

She had a bad feeling from their very first meeting. And on the day the boat departed, when she finally got a good look at Coco’s face, she couldn’t believe her eyes.  

Coco bore an uncanny resemblance to Junhyuk’s ex-wife.  

Moon Sohee couldn’t have missed the wedding photo stored on Junhyuk’s phone.  

The petite, fair-skinned woman with bright, large eyes, a graceful nose, and perfectly shaped lips was undeniably beautiful, even from a woman’s perspective.  

Junhyuk’s ex-wife was reportedly the child of a long-established construction company but had attended regular schools and lived a relatively secluded life, which explained why few people knew her.  

Even Sohee’s well-connected friend Ahyoung knew little about Junhyuk’s ex-wife.  

Rumors had it that the marriage had been one-sided, with the woman being in unrequited love with Junhyuk. It was said he had no real interest in the marriage, which ended after just three months.  

The fact that it was an arranged marriage between families didn’t bother Sohee. What troubled her was that Junhyuk hadn’t deleted that photo and had kept it all this time.  

She wondered if he still had lingering feelings for her, but upon observing him, there were no signs of that. He didn’t even seem to know where she was.  

This had reassured her, but everything changed once Coco appeared.  

At first, she even considered the possibility that Coco might actually be his ex-wife, now fallen from grace.  

However, no matter how far someone had fallen, they wouldn’t be living such a life in a place like this, so she was convinced it wasn’t the case.  

Even if her family’s construction business had gone bankrupt, she would likely still have a secret stash of money to live on. She wouldn’t be living in such a shabby house, and there were no traces of her hair or nails being properly maintained.  

Yet, Coco’s clothes and occasional behaviors hinted that she was not an ordinary person, making her a thorn in Moon Sohee’s side.  

What made it worse was Coco’s attitude toward Junhyuk. Despite him being someone Moon Sohee longed for but could never have, Coco acted as though he meant nothing to her.  

Moon Sohee felt a fleeting sense of gratitude when Coco risked herself to save her. However, this was quickly overshadowed by a deep sense of inferiority.  

It was this fear of losing Junhyuk to her that led Moon Sohee to deliberately pull her hand away on the boat.  

When she learned from Boss Nam that the two of them had survived, she couldn’t shake the feeling that everything would fall apart one day, just like it had today.  

Though she was forced to apologize for her actions that day, Moon Sohee still couldn’t bring herself to like Coco.  

Inside her heart, a growing sense of unease festered.  

And she knew it could erupt again at any moment.  

*** 

Although the apology resolved the situation, the atmosphere remained heavy.  

After a light dinner of dried meat and fruits, they set up sleeping arrangements on a flat area.  

They couldn’t light a fire for fear of being discovered, so the round moon served as their only light.  

Se-ah carefully poured water onto a cloth she had been using as a towel and wiped Amihan’s forehead with great care.  

Though it didn’t bring about a miraculous recovery, his complexion had improved slightly compared to before.  

Even so, she couldn’t feel reassured. The reality was that Amihan’s body was like a ticking time bomb—without proper treatment with medicine, his condition could worsen at any moment.  

As this thought crossed her mind and she resolved to find medicine before it was too late, a roasted ear of corn suddenly appeared beside her.  

“Take a break and switch with me. You barely ate anything for dinner earlier. Eat this first.”  

“I’m fine. I’m not hungry.”  

Se-ah weakly shook her head, her face devoid of energy. Junhyuk silently watched her for a moment.  

“Are you that worried about him?”  

“He’s around the same age as my younger brother, so I feel more protective of him. He’s like a symbol of hope for this deserted island. If Amihan recovers, I think we’ll all feel more confident about returning home. That’s why I’ll do everything I can to save him.”  

Clenching her fist as if making a vow, Se-ah looked at Amihan with determination. Junhyuk, who had been watching her with a gentle gaze, muttered softly.  

“You really are a good person.”  

“N-No, I’m not.”  

Se-ah blushed and quickly denied it, causing Junhyuk to let out a sudden, deep sigh.  

“In comparison, I’m truly a terrible person.”  

“What? Why would you say that, Captain?”  

In Se-ah’s eyes, Junhyuk was the kindest person she could think of. Hearing him call himself a bad person left her wide-eyed in disbelief.  

“It’s because, even in this situation, I’m consumed by petty jealousy. Whatever the reason, seeing you care about someone other than me doesn’t feel good.”  

“Oh…”  

Se-ah was at a loss for words and fell silent for a moment.  

Thinking about it, while she had her own reasons, from Junhyuk’s perspective, it must have seemed like she was doting on a stranger of the same age as him.  

Although she knew her feelings weren’t romantic, imagining the reverse—Junhyuk taking care of a woman her age—helped her understand his emotions. She realized she, too, would feel uncomfortable in such a situation.  

However, she couldn’t ignore Amihan, who was unwell.  

Watching her troubled expression, Junhyuk shook his head.  

“It’s fine. I know there’s no helping it. Anyway, you mentioned there’s an antidote on their side?”  

“Yes. But… why?”  

“I’m going to steal it.”  

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